


Deception and what comes of it

by HisGlasses



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Emotional Hurt, IgNoct, Light Angst, M/M, World of Ruin, ardnis, everybody is bitter, interpersonal relations, rewriting the facts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-07-05 03:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15854910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HisGlasses/pseuds/HisGlasses
Summary: That time when Ignis fought back, Ardyn felt reminded of a past memory that wakes his interest towards the royal retainer. This man shouldn't hurt more than necessary, he would make sure of it.A recapitulation of the original canon and exploration of the world of ruin and its secrets.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I started writing this. I came up with the basic idea on a starlit night with his-spare-hats and it didn't let go off my mind so I spun the idea out on my own.
> 
> The first chapter is pretty much canon retelling but I hope you don't mind. I'm going onwards from there in the next chapter. I am planning to keep this one around 3 chapters long.
> 
> I'm shook at the amount of non-con there is for Ardyn, so allow me to try on something realistic and (hopefully) unproblematic.  
> I must admit that I'm a bit scared putting this up but I hope you will enjoy reading this.

“Unhand him!”

The royal retainer’s sharp eyes were locked on him, wide with fear, gleaming with anger and flaring with resolve. It was a deep green, radiating nothing less than the essence of life cutting through the droplet curtains.  
He had already become so familiar with the static glowing red of the MTs and the equally stoic looks of the Niflheim military, he had already forgotten what it actually meant to _live_. Seeing this made something tingle in spots deep below he had long since buried.

For a moment Ardyn was set back to the past, memories of faded colour he had loathed to mourn over for ages. There had been nothing but treachery in his brother’s eyes, the new king inequitably chosen by the treacherous Gods when he had stolen not only his Shield but so much more. Not even a blink when he had sentenced him to death. Ardyn wished Gilgamesh had looked at Somnus the way Ignis’ vivid glare was now directed at him, speaking of their own justice, loyalty and devotion.

What a shame to pity oneself over yet another of the God’s pawns. What a pity the pawn was not him.

“Oh, what good is a world that only lets you down? Why not end it all right here?”, Ardyn hummed, reaching out for Noctis’ motionless body. He contemplated for as much as the blink of a second if what he had said was actually directed at himself. A ridiculous thought.

“No, you can’t!”, Ignis exclaimed, scrambling under the iron grip of the lifeless MTs, unable to push them back.  
Ardyn wondered how much more emotion he could possibly coax out of the usually composed adviser. He pulled Noctis up and feigned to plunge the dagger right into his chest, when Ignis screamed out.

“Noooct!”

A knife whirred through the air, missing Ardyn’s head by well calculated centimeters and instead pinning his hat to the slick ground.

“My, you two certainly have become fast friends.”

Ardyn sneered as he found Ravus staring at him too, not with the same depth as Ignis had but with enough fierceness to convey the wrath he was feeling. An improvement for once, compared to the usual indifference. Whatever Noctis’ lapdog had stirred in him in their short alliance, Ardyn hadn’t been able to over a much longer time. Most fascinating.

With a quick flicker of magic once royal, now stained with darkness, Ardyn silenced the intruder. He wanted to turn his attention to Ignis alone. The young man was worth it.

“Permit me to make a suggestion”, Ardyn purred and offered his hand.  
“Rather than follow this flotsam and float away to a watery grave, why not come with me? What do you say?”

It was basically what had happened to himself two millennia ago, with the difference that he himself now was in his brother’s position. Playing the evil part. Though this time the outcome didn’t really matter. Ignis had caught his interest and whatever decision he should make, Ardyn would come up with countless possibilities to pursue his object of curiosity, one way or another.

Ignis’ eyes shifted between him and the young king, who had way too much resemblance with Somnus. The fact alone that he was considering, even if only for the slightest bit already felt like victory. It was even more satisfying to see him struggle up, fight back against his obstacles to protect his liege in a way Gilgamesh once had failed to. Ardyn realised how beautiful devotion could be. It was exciting.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’.”  
Ardyn felt like teasing his opponent a bit more, threaten him a bit maybe. He directed the purple flames at him, ready to strike, hurt him maybe, just a bit to see his reaction when Ignis spoke up and made him halt.

“I swore an oath to stand with Noct and keep him safe. Whatever it takes, I will protect him.”  
In the next second he had slammed the Ring of the Lucii onto his hand and his body squirmed in pain. The ring gleamed in an angry white, accompanied by the ear-splitting scream of its bearer. What a brave man and then again, what a fool.

“Ah-ah-aaah! I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  
Spite vibrated in Ardyn’s words, not towards Ignis but the wretched Gods and their puppet kings. How good and holy could the power of deception truly be? It was not granted anyone but the unjust, choosing its champion by will. He would rather not see Ignis sink beneath the weight of it, no. What a pitiful waste.

“I may not be of royal blood, but if a Glaive can harness its power, then so can I! Kings of Lucis, lend me your strength.”  
Ignis drew a deep breath and let out another anguished yell as he was engulfed by bluish strings of light. 

Much to Ardyn’s surprise, Ignis didn’t collapse under the forces of old. And unlike Ravus his body was not being torn apart and burnt to ashes either. Instead, he found him capable of using the power of kings to phase back and under heavy panting Ignis readied himself for combat.

His expression still frozen in disbelief, Ardyn phased right after him, planting himself in front of the man whose aura had changed into something wicked and lethal, not to say inhuman.

Ardyn stared down at Ignis, down into those spheres of green now fueled with ancient powers, turning their gentle colour into the too familiar lavender of the person he had once called his Shield. There was something else in there, swirling in the flurry of emotion, something that had grown much too bright to be overlooked. Something stronger than loyalty and thicker than the bonds of destiny.

Love.  
It appeared to be the very core around which the power of the Gods was gathered, barely touching it but enabling forces that could possibly shatter the world. This man would not bow to fate. He would stand up against it and fight. Fight for his belief. Fight for love.

A thought crept up in Ardyn’s mind that made him more than just upset. What if this had been the sole thing, the last piece of the puzzle that he had been missing to ascend? He and Gilgamesh had shared everything throughout their journey, more than daylight’s eyes would ever dare to see. Ardyn had felt their unique bond, felt that right after his calling to heal the people, Gilgamesh had been what mattered most. And yet...  
His closest companion had so easily turned his back on him, talked into treachery ‘in favour of mankind’ by his very own brother. The doubt that Gilgamesh might not have truly felt for him the way he had tore up a chasm in Ardyn’s chest.

The barrier that was holding back his chagrin and wrath crumbled fast.

“Well, they’ve shown you their favour after all”, Ardyn hissed, pained by his own memories and enraged by the Gods, who had ‘acknowledged’ yet another tool, ready to smash it when they felt like it.  
The Gods and kings be damned, punishing, denying and mocking him over and over. He would not let another poor soul be lost to their scheming, sacrificed for the greater good. Not this one. 

The fight was rough, metal clashing in the humid air and the slippery ground a constant threat to their balance. Ignis was strong, the power of kings raging through his body, pushing him far beyond his limit. Ardyn could not deny that he was relieved to see the ring’s magic fade, see the body in front of him weaken and ultimately collapse onto the ground.

“Whew! Wasn’t that exhilarating? I think that’s enough for one day.”  
He wiped some strands of his purplish hair out of his face, feeling the exhaustion digging into him as well. It was a tough fight against the Gods, even time couldn’t change that. 

Behind him Ignis was panting heavily, his lungs rattling with every breath he drew. On second sight, Ardyn realised the toll the powers had taken on him. The lavender fire had left scars all over his face, silver still but soon to turn into an unsightly hue of reddish brown. Unsettling, rougher maybe than before but Ardyn would not have gone as far as calling him disfigured.  
Yet the Gods had been greedy enough to douse the flames that had illuminated his eyes. The deep emerald had been dulled to grey, a pair of stone marbles, hopelessly searching for a ray of light.

 _My poor boy_ , Ardyn thought, anger tinging the corners of his ruth. He let his fingers ghost over the bruises, secretly hoping that something in him might still be able to heal. But he couldn’t fool anyone, above all not himself.  
Clenching his fingers into a fist Ardyn disappeared from the battleground, avoiding a face-off with the remaining entourage of the woeful prince. Ignis had been deceived and Ardyn was bitter about it.

It was not long after that when they should meet again in Gralea, Capital to the Empire. With no access to the Armiger and no other choice than to use the ring, Ardyn had ensured that the Chosen King was in for a torturous route. He knew what terrors rummaged in and around Zegnautus Keep.

But there was no point in additional and needless suffering, which was why he kept him and the two of his remaining guards separated. While they were discussing the best way to deal with their situation, Ardyn joined them to offer help, much to Gladiolus’ displeasure.

“What are you doing here?”, Gladiolus spat, protecting Ignis who was now equipped with sunglasses and a cane.

“Why, I come bearing gifts.”  
And that he did. With a smile on his lips that carried just a faint trail of apology and a snap of his fingers he unblocked the access to the Armiger for exactly two pieces, Gladiolus’ broadsword and Ignis’ daggers. Much to their surprise they sparked up between their hands, resting there in all familiar solidity.

“See? Gifts! Now I believe a ‘thank you’ is in order.”

“For what - another one of your stupid tricks?”, Gladiolus snapped, approaching him with a forceful step. Ignis just stood there, silent and listening.

Ardyn regretfully shook his head.  
“Here I am, helping for a change, but I can see I’m not wanted.”  
Well, what had he expected? After everything he had put them through, especially their oh-so-beloved prince he wouldn’t have expected any other reaction. So, Ardyn gestured a greeting towards them before leaving the scene.

“I’m loath to trust him”, Ardyn heard Ignis say before he stepped out of range.  
He chuckled.

“This I wonder, my dear Ignis. You, who knows about the state of things.”

The gathering of the four Insomnians did not last for long. Soon enough Ardyn forced Noctis to leave his friends behind and make his way to the centre of the Keep alone. As the Crystal took him, Ardyn revealed what he had hidden through all of their encounters.

“Noct, killing you as a mortal will bring me scant satisfaction”, he addressed Noctis, who struggled to resist the pulling of the stone. “Claim the Crystal’s power. Arise as its champion. Only once the Crystal and King are no more... can I know redemption.”

Those words were more honest than Noctis would ever assume, or so Ardyn thought. It was true. He harboured no ill will, no grudge against the young man who had happened to be one of Somnus’ last descendants. And looking much alike him on top of that. But it was not Noctis’ fault, merely bad luck that he happened to be chosen by the Gods. An unfortunate coincidence, really.

“Come back soon”, Ardyn took a short bow before Noctis. “I shall keep your friends company until you are ready.”

Said friends stumbled in only moments after Noctis had been fully absorbed by the Crystal.

“The Gods have taken your friend to put him underneath their trial”, Ardyn explained, pointing at the stone behind him, his blue glow having died down to leave nothing but an over-sized rock.  
“As things stand, I would--”

It was Gladiolus who lunged at him first with drawn sword. He had, no doubt, understood that Ardyn had ended the prince’s life, which was a grave misunderstanding. Ardyn then willingly took the blow, right to his face. The curse of being immortal came to be a blessing this time, the ordinary steel couldn’t affect him any further.

Prompto mimicked his friend’s action, firing a bullet straight through Ardyn’s back. It did hurt, yes but Ardyn had already endured so much more. For the shock effect, he let himself deliberately fall to the ground, only to stand up two heartbeats later, readjusting his hat nonchalantly and continuing to stride along.

Ignis didn’t draw his daggers, not even as Ardyn walked past. Not even when he revealed what age and curse had twisted him into.  
Only to him. The other two couldn’t have caught a glimpse of it if they tried. Ignis didn’t flinch nor budge. A blind man’s privilege, no doubt but one that harboured possibilities. Eventualities.

 _The gods have fooled you_ , Ardyn ruefully thought as he walked away.  
_Just as they have fooled me. Though you will not walk the darkness alone, Ignis. I will see to it._

 

When the eternal night had fallen over the lands it was about time Ardyn fulfilled the promise he had given. Not to the Gods, not to the kings, but to the boy whose fate was to become one of them. The sacrificial lamb, another pawn before the greater scheming. And to Ignis, who apparently had come to stay in Lestallum for administrative purposes lately.

Yet not the promise alone was what drove the Accursed to seek him out. He felt a connection, something buried deeper below the facade of curiosity.  
Of course, Ardyn could not expect to be welcomed with open arms, walking in like the bad guy he was playing but he exactly knew the ways and means to approach the royal adviser.

Almost ten years would fairly be able to change a person’s looks - a matter of low importance when it came to meet a blinded man, so maintaining an audible disguise would have priority. As long as there was nobody else around that was. If only for a while, he would take the place of the disappeared king and keep it warm until he arrived.

Ardyn hummed in content as he melted with the shadows of the city to seek out Ignis’ company.


	2. Chapter 2

“We received word from Dave too. The population of Spiracorns has decreased again. On the other hand the Hunters reported the repeated sighting of Tonberries in exactly the same area of the plain.”  
Talcott flipped over the documents on his clipboard, checking whether he had forgotten to mention anything important.  
“Yes, this should be about it for now. I’ll make sure to add the information to the reports.”

“Much obliged.”  
Ignis unfolded his hands and leaned back into his chair.  
“So, you are leaving with the Hunters tonight?”

“Yes, sir. I’d like to check on the ruins of Steyliff we have visited before. I feel like I might have missed something the last time we’ve been there.”

Ignis could hear him scratch his neck and then tap against the bill of his cap. A habit that never failed to bring out a smile on his face.

“Now, now. Don’t be too hard on yourself. There could be no better eyes for me on all Eos.”

Talcott laughed sheepishly.  
“Doing my best, sir.”

With Ignis’ wounds still not mended, Talcott had become one of the most reliable persons around him. The boy knew what kind of information Ignis wanted to hear and what points were important to him when it came to filing documents. Without him being in charge of Lestallum and its surroundings would have been an impossibility.

“Well then, I’ll go and get ready then. If there is anything that crosses your mind while I’m away, be sure to contact me.”

Ignis nodded thankfully.  
“I will. Please take care on the road, Talcott.”

A few steps and a creaking of the door later, Ignis called out to the boy once more, making him stop in half motion. 

“Say... Are there any news about...”  
Ignis didn’t complete his question. It was a preposterous thing to ask. Talcott would have told him right away, no need for asking. 

He let out a deep breath through his nose.  
“Never mind. Make sure to come back safe and sound.”

There was a short silence in which Ignis wished for Talcott to just go and leave him alone with his incorrigible trails of thought. The wooden floor creaked as he turned around and Ignis could hear the smile in Talcott’s words.  
“Don’t worry, Mr. Scientia. If I hear of anything concerning His Majesty, you’ll be the first one to know.”

“How many times did I tell you ‘Ignis’ is just fine”, Ignis murmured with a faint smile, well aware that Talcott couldn’t have heard him as the door closed shut. He had really grown a fine young man, despite everything he had lived through.

They all had lived through hard times, ever since the darkness had spread her everlasting wings over the lands. Power and food supplies had grown scarce, reducing the places where people still managed to pull through. Everyday life had been narrowed down to Lestallum, the Hunter HQ and Hammerhead. For some reason, Ignis had ended up taking care of the administrative affairs of the town. Not like he couldn’t fight alongside the Hunters, like Gladio and Prompto were. He was used to the darkness, more than anyone could possibly ever be. But a city could only get so far without a competent lead.

Ignis slid off his visors to catch one of the wayward strands of hair that was especially tickling around his nose and swept it back up. He shouldn’t have to be here in first place. That was not how things should have come to pass. But then again...

He ran a gloved thumb over the lenses. Lady Lunafreya’s dying messenger had shown him what would eventually come to pass. The memories of those pictures had been haunting him over the years, burnt into his mind and lending its company in his dreams, only to have him wake up to another day of dark. And another day that would pass without any clue of how to avert the predestined way of history.

Even revisiting the tombs and exploring the old ruins of Solheim had not brought much clarity in that matter. Talcott had been doing his best and the information he had gathered until now had been more than interesting but fruitless when it came to finding a way to rescue Noctis.

The only certainty he had been given and clinging to was that Noctis would come back. It was the thing that kept him going, pushing himself into a different action than simply waiting. This day would mark both the most blissful and miserable of all. Noctis would come back. And it would mean that time had run out.

Another thing that didn’t let go of him was the fact that he was still alive. In a desperate attempt to save Noctis from the Chancellor he had been ready to give up everything. Ignis had been standing before the trial of the kings, pleading for a means to protect Noctis, well knowing that he had to pay a price in blood. They had taken his sight, yet he had survived.

He had also survived what had followed at the Altar. Ignis’ memories of that time were hazy but he could recall that he had engaged in a fight with Ardyn and that he had lost it. His life could have been ended on the spot but for some reason it had been spared. It had been the same when they had reached Zegnautus Keep. They would have been powerless without their weapons, but again, Ardyn had ensured their way through the enemy’s territory.

It didn’t make any sense.

“Let us call it a day.”  
Ignis worded his thought as a reprimand to himself. All those unsolved questions had his head spinning. It was not like him losing his head. He must have been tired.  
Ignis sighed deeply and slid on his visors again. A bit of fresh air might do him well.

 

After a short stroll through the city he had come to accept as his temporary home, Ignis found himself walking down the stairs to the lookout. Given the circumstance that it was located a tad away from the city centre, there were usually not a lot of people around, making it a quiet place to stay.

Over the last year it had secretly become Ignis’ favourite place to be while in Lestallum. The bench behind what had remained of the plants was well shielded and therefore created a notion of privacy. Probably the people knew that he liked to spend some time alone in that place but they were considerate enough not to intrude then.

There was a soft breeze catching in Ignis’ hair, pleasant to the touch but not really that fresh. It carried a notion of decay from somewhere, not to far in the outskirts. Something whistled from deep below the gorge of Taelpar Crag as Ignis sat down.

So much had changed with the fall of the night. Everything had grown tense, dangerous. There were quite some who had to struggle with severe depression over the daemons and the never ending darkness, a fact that Ignis could only chuff about. Yet he couldn’t blame them.

Ignis wondered what Noctis would say, should he come back and see for himself what was happening to the world. So much had changed from the day he had disappeared, into the Crystal as Gladio had confirmed. Could he see what was happening from where he was? Were the Gods letting him?

It felt like an eternity ago when they had still been safe and living their lives in Insomnia. Training in the practise rooms of the Citadel, hoping the day of the worst case would wait for another century. Picking up Noctis from school, still nervous with his fresh driver’s license behind the wheel. Slipping out of the Wall’s safety to go stargazing on occasion. The smile brightening up teenage Noctis’ permanent scowl when he happened to spot a shooting star before Ignis could. Noctis’ peaceful face in sleep when Ignis would draw a blanket over him. Noctis...

Ignis realised that he had been clenching his fists and loosened them up with a shake of his head. He stripped off his gloves, kneading the spots he just had applied too much pressure on. He really was all about Noctis, wasn’t he? Even though he should have known better, he was powerless to change it. It seemed more likely that he’d once again try to fight the Gods.

“Noct... tell me, what do you want me to do?”  
The sigh was carried away by the breeze.

“You could try and lighten up for a start?”

Ignis immediately froze in place. Every fiber of his body stiffened up, leaving him paralysed in shock.  
No.

“It’s not really like you to mope, you know? At least the Ignis I know wouldn’t.”

A hysterical “ha” escaped Ignis’ throat and he immediately slammed his hand on his mouth.  
Impossible.  
“So have I come this far now?” His voice was shaking. “Drat. I must be going insane after all...”

Steps were approaching him, Ignis could hear wayward gravel scrunching under a pair of shoes.  
He could feel his nails digging into his palms again.

“Hey”, the voice rasped, significantly closer than before. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

A whiff of air from next to him and a moment later a pair of hands gently pulled his apart. Ignis felt his heart stumble over several beats. It simply couldn’t be. What trick was this?

“... Noct?”  
Ignis’ voice was almost inaudible, a careful murmur not to accidentally chase away whatever just appeared before him.

“It’s been a while, huh?”

“Goodness...”

Ignis swallowed around the lump in his throat. Noctis’ hands were so warm and real on his own. He had the impression they had grown slightly bigger too. Ten years were a lot of time...  
Could he dare to just believe?

“Wow. I didn’t expect to see you cry”, Noctis huffed as he discreetly wiped away the hint of a tear from Ignis’ cheek.  
“It’s been so long, right? Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Please, tell me my mind is not playing tricks on me?”

The warmth vanished from Ignis’ hands but before he could start doubting, he was being pulled up to standing. His legs definitely didn’t move on his own, so it had to be...  
Ignis tentatively reached out in front of him, only to have his hand thud against a chest.

“I think this is far too real for being a trick, don’t you?”  
His voice gave away the smirk on Noctis’ face.

“I honestly didn’t expect you to still gain in height. You’re towering me now, I suppose?”

“See for yourself?”

In the next moment, Ignis felt a pair of arms wrapping around him in a hug he had only dared do dream of for about a decade. Noctis had really grown, both tall and strong. Ignis had to lift his chin a little in order to avoid a collision with his shoulders.

“My, my...”  
Ignis huffed out an incredulous laugh, as he returned the hug.

”I’m so sorry you got hurt, Ignis”, Noctis’ voice murmured close to his ear. “I wish things had turned out differently.”

“It is nothing. I... think we all do.”

Ignis stayed a while in the embrace before he decided to pull away. Noctis’ return meant that it was time to prepare for the battle. And prepare to lose him again. Goodness, he had to keep his voice from cracking.

“Noct, I... We should let the others know. The people have been waiting for you.”  
Everybody would rejoice seeing their king back from his trial, ready to strike down the menace and restore the light. But they didn’t know the price.

“No!”  
Noctis urgently tugged at the sleeve of Ignis’ shirt, its fabric worn thin from countless battles.  
“No”, he repeated more calmly. “I know that time must come, but it’s too early. I’m still weakened by the challenge of the Crystal and would like to replenish my energy before revealing myself to the public. The Gods were merciless, you know?”

As his adviser, Ignis would have had to object and urge him to fulfill his duty as king, that every minute took its toll on the world and its inhabitants. But then again, what were a couple of days compared to a whole decade?

“Right. It’s up to you then. I shouldn’t align myself with the Gods, even if it’s only in terms of mercilessness.”  
Noctis was back and he would stay, at least for a while. This while was better than nothing. He wanted to make it worth it.

“No, you’re anything but”, Noctis returned softly and poked his finger at Ignis’ chest. Before the latter could speak up, Noctis continued.  
“You know, I was contemplating a revisit of the Royal Tombs. I feel like... I have forgotten something there. Can’t really explain it, but... yeah.”

“Do you want me to accompany you?”, Ignis asked almost out of impulse. He didn’t mean to sound as eager as it had come over his lips but he wouldn’t take it back now. He had waited for him and now he wanted to spend his time with him.

“Do you want to?”, Noctis returned, surely a smug grin on his lazy face. It was just like the old times.

Ignis laughed, his first genuine laugh after a long time. His head felt so light.  
“There is nothing I’d rather do.”

The Tomb of the Just was the closest to Lestallum, so this is where they decided to aim for first. Secretly and in silence, as Noctis had asked for. Ignis had told Holly that like Talcott he too would be away for research purposes every now and then, so they shouldn’t worry about his whereabouts. He could keep in touch via phone, as he had replied to her concerned words, convincing her that he would be fine “alone”.

“This wakes some memories, doesn’t it?”  
A trail of air brushed Ignis’ cheek as Noctis slid past him and into the tomb.  
“I feel like it’s more than a lifetime ago when I was gathering the Royal Arms. What was it I got here? I don’t even remember...”

“Well, as this is the tomb of the Just, I suppose it was his shield that you acquired here”, Ignis smiled, following him to the inside.  
“If you don’t remember getting it, maybe you need a revision of the subjects you had to deal with in history class about fifteen years ago? I’m sure they taught about the tombs.”

“Guess my mind was just elsewhere.”

Noctis’ slow steps were echoing through the tomb as he started pacing around. It was different from visiting the tombs together with Talcott. It felt more intimate somehow. Maybe because they were here in secret, only Ignis knowing about the premature return of the Chosen King. He was reminded of the way they used to sneak out of the Citadel when they were still kids.

Ignis stopped in front of the altar in the middle of the room, resting his hand on the statue.

“I have been here in your absence. Talcott was accompanying me and we have been doing research on the tombs, the ancient kings and magic. I was hoping to... find anything that could be useful.”

The pacing stopped.

“And did you find something?”

Ignis clicked with his tongue.  
“Nothing that would be of real help, I’m afraid. But we found some interesting facts about your ancestors. The statues on the tombs, for example are probably a replication of the Founder King.”

“You mean, that’s what he looked like?”

“Well, I’m not able to truly confirm this, but if our information is correct, it is most likely so. We also assume that his name was Somnus Lucis Caelum, although he most likely changed his name to forge the royal protocol we know today.”

“Oh. He did for sure.”

Ignis frowned at the bitter edge in Noctis’ voice.  
“Did you know about this?”

“No, not exactly”, Noctis countered quickly. “I... well, he was the Founder King after all, wasn’t he? He’s bound to have done this and that in the course of history.”

There was a short moment of silence as Ignis hummed to himself, sliding his hand over the stone monument in front of him. He pursed his lips in contemplation.  
“There is... more we found out but I don’t know if you want to hear it.”

Noctis’ footsteps came closer and Ignis could feel the warmth of his body faintly radiating against his own in the chilly tomb.  
“You know that you can tell me everything, Ignis”, he purred. “I’m not a child anymore.”

“I...”  
A soft sigh escaped his throat as he pushed up his visors.  
“Of course, Noct. Forgive me. I tend to forget.”

The next moment, Ignis felt his freshly adjusted visors being pulled away from his face. A pair of long fingers traced down the bridge of his nose to the spot where ancient magic had left its marks deeply engrained in his lower lip. They left a tickling when they pulled away.

“So it’s not only the scars but your sight hasn’t returned either. I... wonder what you said if you could see me now.”

Ignis reached out one hand, meaning for Noctis to come closer. When he did, Ignis’ hand stroked over a stubbled jaw and skin that had come to tell tales. His thumb swiftly grazed over half dry lips that were bent in a soft curve.  
An old memory flashed up in his mind, from times he could still remember as hues of pastel and innocence. There had been one time when Ignis had kissed those lips. They both had been teenagers still and it had been more part of a bet Prompto had put on them than actually anything meaningful but still, it was one of the moments Ignis cherished the most. It was the closest he had ever dared to approach Noctis and he had never lost a word about it again. Neither had Noctis.  
What a time to remember this.

“You have grown a fine man”, Ignis said as he redrew again and hid a coy smile behind his fist.  
“And I am sure you will even make a finer king.”

“Your king at last.”

Ignis could feel something shift as he found himself slightly outbalanced by a firmly pushing hand on his chest and a leg between his. He fumbled around behind him with a disoriented hand to keep himself from collapsing backwards onto the royal tomb.

“You will be proud of me, Ignis”, Noctis murmured, markedly close to Ignis’ ear, his hair tickling on Ignis’ cheek.  
“I’ll make sure of it.”

Before Ignis could even find himself catching his breath, Noctis was chuckling and pulling him back up again.  
“What? Got you there?”, he grinned as he swatted Ignis’ shoulder and put the visor back into his hands.

“I, ah...” Ignis cleared his throat and slid on back his visor. “I didn’t expect this, yes.”  
He found himself unable to process what just had happened. Maybe to revisit this later. But his heart had definitely made a jump. This was not the moment to step back into the shoes of his teenage self, even though it was Noctis’ fault for being that bold out of the blue.

“Can’t have you be thrown off track that fast, Ignis, really. Should we call it a day? It’s pretty late.”

“I... guess you’re right”, Ignis answered with an absent hand running over his chin.

“I’ll bring you back to Lestallum then, but I won’t be coming with you. I’d like to get back here and stay here for a little longer.”

“But, Noct-”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere. And it’s not like I’m afraid of the dark anymore.”

Ignis blew out a laugh through his nose.  
“Unlike a certain prince I knew. Shall we then?”

 

The way back was smooth and safe. Ignis almost never had to jump into action as Noctis seemed to manage the daemons with sharp senses, swift and better than he had ever had. It had less of a ‘making it back alive’ character than it was a nightly stroll through fallen lands. One could even say it had some kind of dark romantic flair to it. The way their hands occasionally brushed together and left Ignis in doubt of it being unintentional.

Ignis’ fears that everything had been nothing but shadows of a dream were discarded as soon as he was greeted by Noctis at the outlook the next day, just as they had agreed on when they had parted the night before. He was really here. And nobody but him knew.

The road drove them further away from the city and it would take some time until they would be coming back. Headed for the Tomb of the Tall, the two men had a long way ahead, long time to spend together and catch up on what they had been missing out on in each other’s absence.

Noctis was in charge of choosing appropriate spots for making camp, while Ignis - much to Noctis’ surprise - insisted on cooking for them. Every time they sat down at the cracking campfire, they talked. Or rather, Ignis talked while Noctis listened to what his closest companion had lived through, sometimes reminiscing the past times when they still had been kids.

“You really have been ever at my side, haven’t you?”, Noctis hummed, setting aside the emptied dish. Mother and child rice bowl still didn’t fail in effect, as it seemed.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way”, Ignis returned. “I have sworn to be, to the Crown and your father, but I daresay those were only measures to strengthen my conviction. My... mind has been made up since long ago.”  
Yes his mind was made up and he would follow Noctis until there was nowhere left to follow. Yet, there was this suffocating knowledge of fate he didn’t want to accept. Did Noctis know of the Gods’ plans?

“Lucky me... Did I... did I ever thank you for this?”

Ignis blinked away his thoughts in puzzlement.  
“I don’t know anything you’d have to thank me for, Noct.”

“Figures... But I hope I will soon enough. Sometimes things are meant to be spoken out loud and you regret it if you don’t.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand”, Ignis frowned but Noctis just laughed weakly.

“Never mind, Ignis. Just thinking. Say, you were mentioning something you wanted to tell me about the researches you have been doing earlier. What is it?”

“Ah, right.”  
Ignis had to collect his thoughts before he continued. Something felt off but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“I think I already told you that I have been investigating tombs and ruins with Talcott and the Hunters. And, well, not only did we find records of the ancient kings but we stumbled over interesting records about the Chancellor.”

Noctis drew in a sharp breath through his nose.  
“About Ardyn?”

“Yes, indeed. We are suspecting him to at least have a connection to the Founder King.”

“Ardyn and the Founder King... What could they possibly have had in common?”, Noctis growled, seemingly displeased by what Ignis had conveyed.

“Noct, I know how absurd this must sound but I need you to stay calm.”

“Don’t worry, I can keep myself in check.”  
Noctis patted Ignis’ shoulder reassuringly.

“Right... So, apparently, the Starscourge was already ravaging the lands long before the Lucian Kingdom had been established and the people suffering from the sickness were in great need. In fact much alike what we are experiencing now. But there were stories of a healer, a man of kind heart who wandered the lands and took the suffering away. He was said to be well loved by the people until some day he was exposed to be a monster, bringing peril instead of cure and harvesting power for destruction by taking in the sickness. With this power, he aimed for the Crystal, guarded by the yet to be crowned Founder King. Striking down the monster and securing the lands was what brought him to the throne. This healer... The records we found spoke of a man going by the name-”

“Ardyn”, Noctis finished the sentence.

“Yes, exactly. At least this is what he was called before he was revealed to be-”

“Branded.”

“Pardon?”  
Ignis was confused by Noctis’ odd intervention.  
“What do you mean by that, Noct?”

“I...”  
Noctis groaned and his clothing rustled as he shifted.  
“The... Astrals have told me a lot. While I have been away I mean. About the Crystal and... Argh, honestly I don’t remember everything but this somehow... stuck to my head. It seemed important, uhm... Sorry for interrupting you. Go ahead.”

“A-alright.”  
Whatever it was that had Noctis fixed on this choice of words must have been more than just bare knowledge. Ignis made a mental note to investigate this at a later point. Maybe he had acquired insight into information they had been unable to obtain. It could be a step into the right direction of saving Noctis.

“So, Ardyn was his name before he was _branded_ a monster and therefore was given the name of Izunia, calamity of men. Those names given it is quite safe to assume that the Chancellor is the same person from over two thousand years ago. But this is not the point.”  
Ignis sat up straight, turning his head to where Noctis was sitting.

“The majority of historical records tell this version of history, but we found other ones. There are chronicles, rather unknown ones and scattered over the lands, written by a historian going by the name of Maculo Scuti. His essays are dated from the reign period of the Founder King and he mentions him as Somnus Lucis Caelum. The interesting part is, that he also writes about an Ardyn Lucis Caelum, whose story strongly resembles the one I have just told you.”

There was a short moment of silence, nothing but the sound of the soft breeze and daemons screeching far away and Noctis’ tense breathing. Ignis clicked with his tongue.

“Noct, look, I know this must be shocking to you, but-”

“What else was there?”, Noctis cut through the mid of the sentence.

“The... records, you mean?”

“Yes. Tell me, what was written in there?”

Ignis licked his lips. Something in Noctis’ tone was vibrating, thirsting and urging. What did the Gods tell him that he was missing? What did happen to him over all of those years? Ignis realised that Noctis hadn’t told him anything yet.

“Ignis, please”, Noctis urged him, gripping him by his shoulders. “What else was in these records? I need to know.”

Ignis gasped at the sudden harshness.  
“Noct, I... calm down. I will tell you everything we know.”  
He put his hands over the ones that were cupping his shoulders. They were shuddering and a bit sweaty.

“Scuti says that there was no such monster. He writes about Ardyn Lucis Caelum, a kind healer suffering to the point of breaking under the menace which he fights. Standing in for the greater good and the well-being of the people and gaining nothing but madness in return. He says... that he was betrayed by the Gods and wrongfully sentenced to death, a saviour disowned of humanity.”  
Ignis shook his head.  
“Honestly, I don’t know what to make of this but... it makes me think. Quite often.”

The urgent shaking in Noctis’ hands stopped and grew into a lingering touch, stripped of power. Of course it was much to take in. The probability of being related to Ardyn alone was enough but having him talk about Ardyn having been wronged in the past, the Gods, their worshiped protectors of the world presumably pulling strings behind their backs - it must have sounded like a bad joke.

But Ignis had known how cold blooded the Astrals could be, ever since the Messenger had shown him the vision on that fateful day in Altissia. The idea of turning towards them seemed more and more appealing. It could be a solution to the chaos, even if it meant teaming up with the enemy, whom they had been fighting all along. If he really was one.

Ignis didn’t know if he was brave enough to talk to Noctis about this thoughts, especially as there was no reliable proof. Yet. It all came down to the unavailability of time and talk. How could he possibly engage a negotiation with Ardyn of all people?

As Noctis remained silent, Ignis impulsively pulled him into an embrace. He had held him often on the journey, when hope seemed lost, when Noctis couldn’t cope. It usually helped. Ignis drew circles on his back with his flat hand.

“Noct, are you alright?”

“Yes, just... taking things in. I’m good.”  
Noctis returned the hug and pulled him just a little closer.  
“I’m glad to have you here with me, Ignis.”

“So am I.”

If the world had been still intact, no worries about dying lands, fighting battles, if they had been but two ordinary people this would have been the time Ignis would have mustered up his courage and go for a kiss. A real one with a meaning to it. But they weren’t. 

Instead, Ignis continued softly patting Noctis’ back and aimed for a question that has been on his mind.  
“If... you wouldn’t mind, could you... I’d like to hear something about you and your time in the Crystal. I’d like to know.”

Noctis let out a faint laugh.  
“I don’t know if there is something interesting for me to tell but you can ask away. Can I ask you one last thing before?”

“Ever the spoiled royal, are we? Go ahead.”

Noctis pulled back out of the embrace.  
“What is it like? Living in the dark, I mean.”

A laughter escaped Ignis in surprise. It was nothing to really laugh about. He had heard the guilt in Noctis’ voice and could only fathom how deep this sentiment was rooted. But it was touching, even if unexpected.

“By that you don’t mean life in the absence of the sun, I suppose? Well, I... adapted to it, probably better than anyone. After all, I’ve been living in the darkness for ages now. Although I cannot deny that it can be... lonely, from time to time.”

He clasped his hands in his lap. This was very personal and Ignis had kept it to himself ever since the incident had happened. He hadn’t told anybody how it had happened and what it made him feel, not Prompto and Gladio, not Talcott. He didn’t want to strengthen Noctis’ feeling of guilt either, on the contrary. But as Noctis stayed silent the words kept going on their own.

“What I miss the most is the sky. Its changing colours at sunrise and sunset, the stars in the night sky. It always gave me that feeling of being connected. According to what Prompto and Gladio have told me, I am not missing out on anything in this matter. Although I must admit... I’d have liked to see you as you return.”

It was now Ignis’ turn to be held. He didn’t object and decided to indulge himself in this short moment of comfort.

“It is a lonely place indeed”, Noctis murmured somewhere next to his ear. “You start questioning your reality, the people around you, deeds and then your very self, seeing monsters lurk in the void. But they are not a fiend you should succumb to, ever. Promise me, Ignis. When everything that you know and love is taken from you and all you can think about is anger, hatred, and even revenge... This is when you have fallen into true darkness and I’m afraid that no one can save you from there anymore. I have seen it.”

Ignis felt a pang in his chest at the bitterness in his voice. 

“Goodness, what did they do to you, Noct? What did they tell you?”

“Everything, Ignis. I know everything.”

The silence was a heavy blanket that night as the two men cleaned up the dishes and bedded themselves. Lying down back against back, Ignis couldn’t find any rest. Noctis’ words were replaying in his mind like a broken record player and it frightened him. He had said that he knew everything, so Ignis could assume that this included what the Astrals had in mind to end the world’s suffering. But something was in the air that hadn’t been there before. That deep and dark feeling of resentment and the bitterness that greeted him every now and then made him shudder and feel incredibly sad. Ignis wished he could do something, anything to change it. He’d even make use of the ring again, if only he could lighten Noctis’ burden.

With a spinning head and a restless mind Ignis wasn’t expecting any rest so soon. Or so he had thought before he felt one arm wrapping around his torso from behind and Noctis’ body close to his. With his heart beat against his back in a slow and steady rhythm and the soothing warmth around him, Ignis found himself calming down and drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to chop this chapter into two, or else it would have become a monster of 8k length. It would have been cool if I had been able to write Ardyn-Ignis-Ardyn-Ignis point of view, but now you'll have to deal with Ardyn-Ignis-Ignis-Ardyn-Ignis |D  
> Five chapters it is!
> 
> I am a little unhappy with the pacing around the first tomb scene, because it somewhat felt stiff and a bit rushed to me, when I edited the chapter. Please forgive me that lack of skill, I'm still learning and trying my best in wording everything. Writing Ardyn in Noct disguise has proven to be more challenging than I initially thought.
> 
> As always, I'd love to know what you think of the chapter and hope you like it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much [iseliadragonwill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IseliaDragonwill/pseuds/IseliaDragonwill) for helping me out more than once when I was struggling with getting things right. This chapter is especially for you <3

It was the sound of bursting bones and screams that woke Ignis with a start. He immediately summoned his dagger to hand and patted the spot of grass behind him in a rush. His heart rate accelerated at a speed that was only comparable to what the Regalia had been capable of.  
Noctis wasn’t there.

_No._

“Noct!”  
Ignis scrambled up to standing, straining his ears to get a mental image of the situation. There had to be daemons, but what kind and how many? And how could they have gotten so close to a haven?  
His blood rushed in his ears, making it hard to concentrate.

“Noct, where are you?!”

“Right behind you”, Noctis’ husky voice returned, sending Ignis spinning around.  
“Sorry to wake you like that. There were some daemons that have come a little too close.”

Ignis gasped in relief and send his daggers away in a cloud of sparks. He leapt for Noctis’ coat, pulling him closer with his fists.   
“Don’t you make me worry like this ever again.”  
This would have had a more reprimanding character if Ignis had still been taller than him. Being outgrown only added a notion of helplessness.

Noctis chuckled.  
“I’ll try to”, he said and ran a hand over Ignis’ cheek, letting his fingers drip off his chin before pulling away. It made Ignis shiver.  
 _I don’t want to lose you over and over again_ his mind screamed but his lips stayed sealed. At least it served as another confirmation that it was real. Noctis was still here.

 

The two had agreed to make for Hammerhead after their visit to the tomb. Ignis would catch up with Cindy and the Hunters, while Noctis would go into the Balouve mines to revisit the Tomb of the Clever. Ignis was reluctant letting Noctis head into the mines on his own, but Noctis had insisted for it to be alright. He ultimately had convinced him with the argument of saving time that way and being able to return to Lestallum faster, so Ignis had agreed.

At Noctis’ wish they made a detour over Galdin Quay. The resort had been abandoned two years after the night had fallen but it still held a lot of spectres of the past to be chased after. Nothing left from the glamorous air of the once prestigious place, just another ruin at a shore that hummed a long forgotten summer song.

“Being here brings back memories, huh.”  
Noctis’ heavy steps made the wooden planks creak in anguish as they walked the pier, landing stage for the boat that should have taken then to Altissia when things were still in order. Only the soft rushing of the sea had remained the same.

“I wished it were pleasant ones”, Ignis sighed. It had been here that they had heard the news of Insomnia’s fall. A tremendous sacrifice that had turned to a small one, compared to how the world had ended up to be.  
“It could have been so easy, if only the boats had been running.”

“Now don’t fool yourself, Ignis”, Noctis returned. “Everything had been laid out in advance and it surely was no coincidence when we couldn’t board. But I think you know by now.”

Ignis sighed again. Thinking of what-ifs and could-have-beens made him feel powerless and he hated it. Of course he knew. He had already had a vague guess before they had spoken to Cid once they had returned to Hammerhead. It had been more than mere happenstance. But the feeling of guilt was persistent.

“Funny enough to think that everything has started from here, of all places.”

Noctis’ voice brought Ignis back from his reminiscence. He frowned.  
“What do you mean?”

The wooden planks groaned as Noctis walked over to pull Ignis to his side of the rail, the one that was facing towards the open sea.  
“I’d show you, but I guess your memory has to be enough. Do you remember the island you can see from here?”

“You mean Angelgard? The sacred ground?”

Noctis let out a noise that could have been mistaken for a scoff.  
“Yeah, that one. It’s still there, hovering over the tide like the cast away wings of a black beast. Tell me, what do you know about it?”

Ignis tilted his head.  
“Not much more than what is written in the books I’m afraid. An island, not to be set foot upon by mortals, not even those of royal blood. It is said that the Gods used to gather there in ancient times.”

“A lovely story, isn’t it? The Gods gather on Eos, in a place from where they watch upon the humans. A symbol of hope to send prayers to in burdened times and all of this but a stone’s throw away from the Kingdom of Lucis. Don’t you think, this is too much of a coincidence?”

There it was again. The heavy sensation of knowledge, secret and ancient was lingering in the air. Something forbidden that was hiding somewhere between the thread of Noctis’ words, something dangerous yet of utmost importance.

“What are you implying, Noct?”  
Ignis wasn’t sure he wanted to ask and not sure if he wanted Noctis to be the one telling him. An odd sensation, thinking how he had never hesitated to ask Noctis anything, really. Yet he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable, like standing in front of an abyss and staring right into it.

Noctis made a clicking sound, just like he was about to speak, but then paused before even starting on what he had wanted to say. When he seemingly had reconsidered, he started anew.

“Once upon a time, before Solheim fell, this place has been used to keep delinquents, imprison them, if you will. It was not a place of peaceful astral gathering, no. The only ones to be found there were the Draconian and the Fulgurian, delivering judgement to those who had been outcast. Of course, it’s not been your average prison. Only those who had really screwed up were sent there. Those blessed with mercy were free to leave the island, by one’s own efforts of course. Those deemed guilty would face an end by hands that know no mercy when it comes to justice.”

“A certain death.”  
Ignis swallowed. What was this blood tinged and twisted version of the legend? It felt wrong but just the way you feel when you learn the truth for the first time and that all you thought you knew had been a lie. Noctis had no reason to lie so Ignis had to believe it was true.

“Exactly. People did set foot on those lands, but they never returned. Ironically enough, the people who shipped those poor souls over were called the Reaper’s ferrymen, just on the side. But the island itself was far from being a symbol of hope. So, have a guess. How come this isn’t known?”

Ignis could only shake his head in puzzlement. He had never questioned the roots of the island, there simply had been no need to do so. But Noctis had anticipated this, as the soft clap on Ignis’ shoulder suggested.

“You’re not to blame. Not even the royal family knew. The only one who did was no lesser than, you might have guessed it, the one who is called Founder King. Apart from the founding of the lucian kingdom itself, he has established a lot of what is seen as tradition today. It’s also the case with Angelgard. And you might or might not be surprised to hear, that it has to do with Ardyn, again.”

Ardyn... so Ignis had been right suspecting that he was a key person for the events of late. But he had not imagined his influence to root that deeply. Ignis nodded and encouraged Noctis to continue.

“What you told me at camp, about the records you found. The ones that were different from the majority?”  
Noctis swallowed audibly.  
“Well, they are true. I... was surprised that you found out. I didn’t think anybody knows that Ardyn had been... a good guy.”

Ignis drew in a sharp breath. All the teachings and records that have been passed on for centuries were wrong? He would not have believed it if anybody else had told him.

“At least until his brother made of him a monster”, Noctis continued, speaking towards the tide.  
“Ardyn was harbouring what sickness he took from the people in his very own body, the plague eating away his very mind and soul. When he had come home from one of his pilgrimages, the Crystal, the very one that was held at the Citadel, acted strangely, burning his hands as he came too close. Unworthy, they called him. A threat to the people that had to be acted upon. And Somnus did. Taking Ardyn’s place instead he sentenced him to death in exile and had him be brought to Angelgard. That day, Bahamut came to him and urged him to shut away the calamity once and for all. This is why Somnus banned anyone to set foot onto the island, that not even prisoners would be sent there anymore. The Gods had spoken to him, so he said, that this was a sacred place no mortal should come near any longer. I believe you know the rest.”

Ignis nodded. He did.  
“What... what has become of Ardyn, if I may ask? You said something about the Gods holding judgement there, but...”

A dry laugh rose into the night.  
“Well, they did. But apparently they haven’t succeeded in eradicating him.”

Noctis sounded harsh. The magic that was cracking around his body sprayed sparks of wrath and bitterness to drip off Ignis’ right side. It was an eerie sensation and summoned a lump to his throat.

“I... cannot imagine what he must have gone through. Just imagine... Being tortured by divine powers but still not dying for over two thousand years...”  
Ignis shook his head.  
“Forgive me if I say so but I... knowing this it almost feels... wrong taking him down. From what you tell everything we tried to protect, the prophecy... Don’t you... Noct, please permit me a horrendous question. The way it looks it... it’s almost as if we should have teamed up with him and stand against the Gods instead.”  
Wording it made his thoughts sound even more shocking than he had expected. It was nothing more than heresy. Him of all people... Ignis ran a nervous hand over his chin.  
“Goodness...”

There was a moment of silence when the waves were crashing against the pillars of the pier. Ignis tried to steel his heart for any sort of wrath that was bound to wash him with the intention of crushing him. Maybe even the intention to kill. Who knew what King Noctis could be capable of. It was the first time Ignis was scared of him.

“You would... cooperate with Ardyn?”, Noctis asked tensely.

“Noct--”

“After all he did to us? All that he’s still going to do? You know it as well as I do. Ever since Altissia you knew what was going to happen!”

“How- how do you know about this?”

Noctis groaned and answered, a tremor rocking through his words.  
“Like I already told you. I know. Everything.”

“Noct, please, listen to me.”

“No, I’ve heard enough.”

This was not what he had intended. Ignis had seen the vision of Noctis who would have to sacrifice himself to be able to destroy Ardyn and bring back the dawn. It was Ardyn who had brought countless hardships upon them on their way. He had murdered Lady Lunafreya, tortured Prompto and had brought himself to almost sacrifice everything to protect Noctis. Ardyn unmistakably wanted to kill Noctis and this made him their enemy. His enemy most of all.

Ignis felt guilty. Guilty for not having talked to Noctis about the events in Altissia and guilty for having addressed the matter with Ardyn. It was only natural for Noctis to lose his temper. But what if this was the only possibility they had left...?

 

Their way from Galdin was quiet. Not the pleasant kind of mutual understanding, when no words are needed and you are just at ease walking side by side. It was crushing.  
When they reached their parting ways, Noctis made sure that Ignis would find his way and warned him to stay out of trouble and to avoid any creaking sounds. Those daemons were the nastiest, as he said. Of course Ignis knew that but getting it pointed out made him want to believe that Noctis wasn’t all angry about him. That was good to know.

Ignis didn’t walk the road alone for long. Being close to Hammerhead also meant close to population and close to Hunters. Two of them spotted him from afar and sent for reinforcements so that Ignis arrived at the outpost none the worse for wear. Cindy greeted him with a warm hug that spoke of both relief and joy. True, the last time he had come here was months ago and his condition had not been immaculate, despite traveling with others.

The question, what he was doing here was quickly answered. Ignis had gone for investigation and on his way back to Lestallum, he had planned to stop by in Hammerhead and see how everyone was doing. Not in the literal sense of course.  
Cindy was cheerful as ever as she complimented Ignis for his “hell of a joke”.

“Oh, and there’s some guys here right now you might wanna meet. They’re probably hanging out in the diner, discussing all kinds of things. I got a bunch of stuff to fix in the garage, but I guess you find the way?”

“Certainly”, Ignis pursed his lips to mute the smile that was creeping over his face. Nothing ever seemed to dim her cheerfulness.

The way didn’t really have to be found. Countless times they had stopped here on the journey, be it because of the numerous hunts they had started from here or because Noctis had deemed it wise to let Prompto drive the Regalia for a change. Even now the place was very much the same but for some minor practical changes. Effortlessly Ignis’ feet carried him to the diner.

Before he could ask one of the Hunters about the people Cindy wanted him to meet, an all too familiar voice made him jerk his head towards one of the remaining booths.

“Whoah, Iggy! Now that’s some ‘long time no see’. You okay?”  
Prompto was as energetic as ever, or at least he tried to be. One couldn’t deny the toll that the night had taken on him. The facade had grown thin.

“Good to see you, Prompto”, Iggy tipped against his visors in greeting.

“You don’t ever change, do you?”, a deeper voice rumbled in response, making Ignis’ eyebrow shoot up in surprise.

“Gladio?”

“Believe it or not”, Gladio grinned, swatting Ignis’ shoulder. “Didn’t think of a reunion when I came over.”

“Yeah, crazy huh”, Prompto agreed. “First you, now Iggy. It’s a long time since all three of us were together...”

“Indeed...”

All three of them. Ignis bit onto his inner jaw. They had grown accustomed to them living apart and meeting only on occasion. Even after years, there was still too much hanging in the air between them to be as comfortable as they had been in old times. One of those things was the absence of their fourth group member. The most crucial one.

“Well, here we are.” Gladio shifted, his leather jacket creaking with every move. “Might as well sit down and talk a bit. Seems like a bit too much for a coincidence and there’s nothing like a good update once in a while.”

“R-right. I’ll get us a little something to drink from the stock in the backroom. Coffee for you Iggy?”

“Oh, in case there is some, gladly. A cup of water would be just as fine though. We mustn’t deplete the stock.”

Gladio guided Ignis to one of the booths that still had its seats, not bothering to grab his shoulder to navigate. Ignis knew that Gladio felt guilty of having failed to protect not only his king but also his friends that day and his scars were running deep.  
When Prompto came back they talked. About their whereabouts over the last months, what they had been up to and what other news had to be told. There was a lot of catching up to do, but they kept it moderate. Nobody said it out loud, but Ignis was a hundred percent sure that they were all thinking the same. The time they’d talk about everything in meticulous detail would come, setting the scene for everything that was to follow. Sometimes Ignis wondered if the other two ever wanted that time to come.

Gladio had been out with a few Hunters lately. A small team of skilled fighters, so there was less need of protecting others rather than oneself. They were looking for especially wicked places, daemon nests where beast were crawling and multiplying at an incredulous speed.

Prompto had been busy with securing the power supplies throughout Eos. There were enough people to do so around Lestallum but there had been more and more casualties around the less well guarded places. So he had been patrolling with his own team to keep safe what few energy was left for outposts like Hammerhead.

When it was Ignis’ turn, he informed the others that he was still trying to maintain the chaotic order in Lestallum but that he went out occasionally to research the tombs with Talcott.

“He’s a grown up now, huh”, Prompto mused. “So, is he here with you then?”

Ignis’ empty can made a hollow sound as he put it down on the table in front of him.  
“He left Lestallum with a group of Hunters. They were headed north, towards the Versperpool, I believe.”

“Aah, a pity. I’d have liked to meet him again. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah I only hear good things about him. Gotta lot of potential.”Gladio’s voice was barely shaking under a withheld yawn.  
“So, anybody of the Hunters drive you here then?”

“I cannot indulge in such luxury when we’re already short on good fighters, Gladio”, Ignis shook his head as he crossed his legs under the table.  
“I went on foot.”

“What?”  
Ignis could imagine Prompto jump up from his seat all too well.  
“That’s... that’s _days_ from Lestallum, Iggy! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Well, here I am, safe and sound”, Ignis sighed, opening his arms in proof of his statement.

“More safe than sound”, Gladio grumbled. “Really, Ignis, that’s crazy. You could have wrecked not only your life but also the ones traveling with you. It’s not like you to be that reckless.”

Ignis contemplated speaking up. Instead he closed his mouth again and tried to hide the curl of his lips.  
“Rest assured that there was no one around me whom I would have endangered.”

“Hey, you’re not trying to tell us you came here on your own, aren’t you?” It was almost an accusation. If he hadn’t known Gladio for so long, he might have felt intimidated.

Ignis’ smile washed away in an instant.  
“No, I, ah...”  
His mind went blank for and the voices of his friends were fading into a void, leaving behind the sound of rushing blood in his ears. He wasn’t betraying them, was he? He had been selfish, not letting anybody know of his secret, of the time he had stolen from Eos and its people in exchange for campfires, talks and warmer nights that were shrouded with a chaste veil of affection. But Noctis had asked for it. He had wanted it. Ignis’ mind was drifting away into a memory of one particular night. He wasn’t sure if it hadn’t been but a dream, but he had the impression of remembering a hand, gently threading through his hair and ghosting over his neck, and a comforting warmth that-

“... otherwise he wouldn’t have made it here without a scratch. Even Iggy wouldn’t stand a chance against the daemons on his own.”

Ignis’ hearing rendered back into focus when Prompto was talking about him, the memory bubble quickly bursting into mist. Still hazy in mind he absently swayed his head from right to left.  
“You’re right”, he mumbled. “I might have ended up dead if it hadn’t been for Noct.”

Just as the last syllable had fallen from his lips, Ignis’ drew in a sharp breath, realising what he had spilled just now. Behind his visors his eyes squeezed shut, hoping for his friends to ignore what he just said. But they didn’t.

“What do you mean?”  
It was not Prompto’s curiosity that reached Ignis’ ears, but the subtle trembling, the uncertainty and the fear of hoping.  
“We’re all holding on somehow because we know that... eventually Noct will come back. But that doesn’t turn us into super humans. You just don’t get to stay unharmed, especially not when you travel on foot. No belief can change that.”

Ignis remained silent.

“It’s not like you to keep things from us, Iggy.” Gladio propped up his arms on the table.  
“You never did and it’s not really the best situation to start a new habit. Spit it out. What is it about Noct?”

_If only you knew..._  
Ignis discreetly kneaded his left hand, where an itching burn was crawling over his middle finger and right up to his arm. He had never told them about this either, but it felt too personal, too intimate to share. Not even Noctis knew. Or, well, at least he hadn’t told him in person, but the Kings of Yore probably had by now.

“You... can trust us, you know?”, Prompto offered. “It’s not like we’re strangers now, just because we’re not hanging out that much anymore. We’re friends, right?”

“I...”  
Ignis pursed his lips and rearranged his thoughts.  
“I do trust you, Prompto. But it is... more complex than it looks.”

“You better start explaining then. We don’t have all time in the world.”  
Gladio shifted in his seat.

Ignis mumbled a faint apology to Noctis before he spoke. So, time was finally up and he had failed to find a solution. It couldn’t be helped.  
“Never mind, I will make it quick then. You were right, assuming that I didn’t come here on my own. I had intended to keep it a secret, but the words slipped out before I could think it through. I traveled here with Noct.”

“ _What?!_ ”  
The unison of their voices was ringing in his head. So he had become the herald of the joyous news after all. Ignis didn’t want to enact this role. The truth behind the curtain was just another lament.

“Wait, you mean you’ve been wandering Eos all those past days with _Noct_ without even caring to tell us?”

“It was his wish, Gladio.”  
Ignis ran a thoughtful thumb over the leather of his gloves. It was not a lie.

“You mean... Noct didn’t want us to know? He told you that?”

“He wanted me to tell you when he’s ready, Prompto.” But now he had broken that promise.

“But he’s here with you? Now?”

Ignis tilted his head.  
“Not exactly. We split up on the way so he can finish his errands in the nearby tombs, while I wanted to check-in on Miss Cindy and the Hunters. He didn’t want to meet anybody yet, as it seemed.”

“Anybody but you?” Gladio grumbled. “Sorry to say that but sounds fishy to me. He knows that we’re all waiting for him and I don’t think he’s run away from his duty like he did before. That was already over when we hit Gralea. He put on the ring, didn’t he?”

_Not that I would have witnessed it._ But if Gladio said so, it had to be the truth.

“I-I don’t know”, Prompto stammered. “I mean, it’s Noct. He always had a thing for letting Iggy know things first.”

“And leaving us out? Come on, Prompto don’t kid yourself.”

It sounded logical. The Noctis who had left them for the Crystal would no doubt want to see his friends as soon as possible. But would the Noctis who had come back from there want that too? Ignis had noticed him to have matured. Well, they all had with the passing years. But there was something else in the way Noctis spoke. Knowledge beyond measure and a soul that seemed to carry the burden of long forgotten centuries. A bitter weariness tinting his tone.

“I know that I didn’t travel alone, Gladio”, Ignis stated firmly.

“Yeah, not questioning that. But you sure you didn’t get poisoned on the way or something? There’s a lot of nasties on the prowl out there. They can make you see things-”

“Gladiolus, are you implying that I am losing my mind?”  
This was ridiculous. Ignis could feel anger flare onto his cheeks.  
“I assure you that I’m fully aware of my deeds and I haven’t been injured once on my whole way. And I don’t think that I need to remind you, that visual magic does not affect me.”

“Please, don’t get worked up Iggy”, Prompto tried with a wavering voice. “I’m sure we can sort things out.”

_This is ridiculous._  
He knew that they only meant well. But he also knew what he had lived through the past days and it was more than rude to assume he had made all of this up. It was infuriating how they were behaving.  
But it was even worse that his heart was desperately hammering against his chest in protest of their words. Ignis remembered Noctis’ voice, his touch and his warmth, the comfort he had felt from just being together. It couldn’t have been anyone else...

“Alright, here’s what we’re going to to. Where have you agreed to meet up after you’re done?”

“The... argh. The haven nearby”, Ignis deflated.

“Good. Then that’s where we’ll wait. I’ll let my team know that I’ll take a little longer. Prompto, you can already head over to the haven with Ignis. The runes should keep you safe. And then we’ll wait for _Noct_ to come back. If it’s really him, there’s talk to be done.”

“Gladio, wait!”

But he was already stepping out of the door, leaving the other two behind.  
“An atrocious blockhead as he has always been”, Ignis sighed in frustration. He knew Noctis probably wouldn’t like it. And to be fair, Ignis would have liked to spend some more calm days with him as well. He wanted Noctis to be real and here with him. But Gladio had managed to sow doubt. That was the most troubling part.  
“Shall we then?”

The haven was not far from the outpost and Prompto and Ignis made it there without further ado, a few gunshots cracking through the night every now and then. It was the place where they had made camp for the first time.

“Brings back memories, huh?”  
Prompto was as zealous to keep the mood light as ever. Noctis had called him the walking talking air refreshener because of this more than once.

“Indeed.”

They sat down on the ground, their legs dangling from the little plateau.

 

“So, uhm...”  
Prompto was wrestling with words. He still hadn’t managed to get rid of this habit, which was quite endearing.  
“Listen, about Noct...”

Ignis turned his head towards Prompto, raising both eyebrows in a silent question.

“Is he... Is he really back?”

Ignis sighed.  
“I do believe so, Prompto, even if Gladio managed to stir an unpleasant doubt in me just now.”

“Has he, you know... changed?”

“Hmm...”  
Ignis tugged a few flyaways behind his ear before he set back comfortably.  
“He sounds... exhausted. Sometimes his voice is getting very somber. I... didn’t get the chance to ask him about what happened to him in the Crystal yet. I hope he will still want to tell me.”

“Come on, Iggy, there’s no way he wouldn’t. He’d tell you basically everything. You’d just have to ask, I guess. You know he’s never been the talkative type when it comes to dealing with emotional things but he’d talk about them anyways if it was you.”

Ignis huffed out a weak laugh.  
“Now that’s exaggerated.”

“Speaking of which, have you... opened up to him yet? Now that he’s back I mean.”

“The thought has crossed my mind several times but honestly, Prompto, I don’t know if I can muster up the courage. I might as well continue wandering in the shadows. Noct doesn’t need any additional burden.”

Ignis had talked a lot with Prompto after what happened in Altissia. Not about the incident itself but one time, when Gladio was busying himself with a jog around Lestallum and Noct was still recovering, his mouth had slipped and had confessed what stirred his heart. Prompto had been the only one to ever know and he was nice enough to keep it to himself, as it seemed. A good friend indeed.

“Well... you do you”, Prompto shrugged. “But I think, if I were you, I’d go for it. I have never been one for protocol and status and so on, so maybe that’s what makes it so easy for me to say such things. It would just be nice if it worked out, you know? I’d like to see you happy again, once in a while.”

“There is no such thing as happiness waiting for me Prompto”, Ignis sighed. “But I am aware of it and move on with my hopes kept low.”

A soft breeze picked up, whirling up sand from below and other particles in the air, that softly bumped off their skin and clothes. No, there was no happiness waiting for him. He was living a life of moments and memories.

“And Noct... didn’t say anything about us? Didn’t ask anything?”

Ignis could hear the hurt in his friend’s question. He pursed his lips and shook his head in apology.

“I see...”

Not much later Gladio joined them at the haven. He had brought some food tins to warm over a camping cooker and Ignis took care of them. And then they played the waiting game. Ignis didn’t know how much time had passed when his stomach rumbled for the third time.

Noctis hadn’t come.

It was then Gladio got up and beat the dust off his clothes. His team had contacted him that they would have to leave slowly but surely. Another daemon cave had been located, as it seemed. Prompto too had to head for a new site where they had experienced several weird shortages over the past hours. Both reminded Ignis of being careful and to not underestimate the deceptive powers of Lich daemons before they left.

Of course Ignis knew about Lichs. He had been the one working on a huge bestiary with Talcott, so there was no need in reminding him. What had been by his side was no Lich, no daemon. It was human.

“I thought they’d never leave.”

Ignis flinched at the sudden voice somewhere down below his feet, a jump away from the haven. He stood.

“Noct! Why are you-- you saw us?”

“Yeah, but you all looked a little gloomy, so I stayed away. Didn’t want to ruin the mood any further.”

“Ruin the-- Noct, what nonsense are you talking about? Prompto and Gladio were here to see you. To talk to you!”

“Which is why I didn’t come over. I told you it’s too early yet. But could you maybe come down here? It’s a little hard to hear you when you’re so far away.”

Ignis frowned. There was something not right in his tone.  
“Maybe you should come up instead, Noct”, he tried. “It’s safer within the runes, they keep the daemons at bay. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Uhm...”  
Noctis laughed awkwardly.  
“It... might be too late for that.”

Ignis hurried down to where Noctis was immediately. He hadn’t presumed that he had walked off without any curatives in stock. Careless as ever.

“Where?”, Ignis panted, a potion already in his glove stripped hand.  
“Tell me!”

Ignis heard the rustling of clothes that were being pulled up.  
“My ankle”, Noctis hissed through his teeth. “I think I sprained it in the mines at some point. But my arm is worse.”

Ignis quickly discarded the other glove, reaching out for where he presumed Noctis’ shoulder to be. Carefully he felt his way downwards, searching the limb for any injuries. It was around the height of the wrist that his fingers were met with a slick and gooey substance, hot to the touch. Noctis gasped as the fingers made contact.  
 _No._

He brought the potion near and cracked it immediately. Ignis could feel the soothing tingle of the Regena particles around his hand but the wound was closing far slower than it usually did. Poison maybe?

“Noct, what did this to you?”, Ignis asked in all urgency, flipping through the pages of his bestiary in his mind. He couldn’t recall any of the catalogued beasts capable of causing such an effect.

“Don’t remember. It was dark.”

“That’s why I told you to be reasonable and take me with you”, Ignis reprimanded him, flipping out a spare gauze bandage he was always carrying in his pocket. You never knew what could happen on the road. “I could have been able to protect you from that.”

“But I didn’t want you to get hurt, Ignis”, Noctis mumbled lowly.

“I can only return this.”  
He secured the bandage around the wounded arm, tight enough to stop the bleeding but not too tight.

“Even if you know that I am going to die anyway.”

Ignis’ head shot up, his good but unseeing eye wide with shock. It was not a question.  
They both knew. It had been clear since they had parted ways. Yet, having it spoken out loud was like driving a dagger through his heart. It was unexpected and it hurt so much.

“What?”, Noctis chuckled darkly. “It’s the truth, Ignis. We have to accept that it’s my destiny to vanish.”

“Even so!”, Ignis burst out, pulling on Noctis’ arm.  
“Noct, I swear to keep you safe from harm as long as you let me. Please don’t... throw away what spare time is left, I beg of you...”

He felt a hand gently caressing the back of his head.  
“Trust me, I’m not worth the trouble”, Noctis murmured, no smile, no teasing, just naked truth speaking from his lips. Ignis’ heart was beating faster.

“You. Are worth _every_ trouble I can think of. Ever since I can remember.”

“Because the Astrals chose me? Because I am the only one to save this world?”

“Gods, no...” He shook his head. “No, this world means nothing to me. Neither do the Astrals. They can do with their world as they please.”

They hadn’t come to help Noctis when he had been in danger in Altissia, not when they had been assaulted in Gralea. It was not them he owed his allegiance to.  
Ignis’ pulse was racing.

“To hell with their prophecy. Saving the world would be meaningless if I can’t save you. I want to save _you_. Noct, I lo--”

Suddenly there was silence and Ignis believed that time itself had stopped. It took a moment to process, why it seemed impossible to breathe. Brute force had suddenly pulled his hair, making his head tilt upwards and a pair of lips was now pressed against his own, sealing away movement and word. Ignis could make out the stubble softly scratching on his chin as Noct pushed closer. It was a simple kiss, all lips, straight forward and without decorum.

Before Ignis could start leaning into its warmth, Noctis pulled away, coaxing a breathless gasp out of him as their connection broke. A trail of warm air brushed over his face as words rose into the night.

“Don’t offer me words that are meant for someone else.”

The words were but a warning snarl, dangerous and bitter and nothing like Noctis.  
Ignis’ head couldn’t catch up with the situation as uneasiness began creeping up from behind his beating heart. He desperately tried catch a clear thought. His friends, Noctis, yearning, a confession, a kiss, tentative joy then horror. It seemed impossible. 

“I hoped for staying together a little longer but I guess time has come to end that charade now, hasn’t it?”

Gladio had been right to warn him. Why hadn’t he been able to see it before? His way of talking, the moments that felt slightly off, the inexplicable change in height...  
 _Because he made you feel comfort and you fool wanted to believe._

“Ar...dyn.”

Ardyn sneered.  
“So we meet at last, my dear Ignis.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you [his-spare-hats](https://his-spare-hats.tumblr.com/) for proofreading what has been a chaos of grammar this time. I bow to you in gratitude.

He had no business with the mines, so Ardyn settled down on the top of Longwythe Peak, well knowing what beast lay dormant in the rocks. He couldn’t be bothered.

It had been a good choice to split up for a while. Talking about Angelgard and distant times had teared up wounds that Ardyn had thought to be closed since long ago. When Ignis, the good soul, had considered siding him to revolt against the Astrals, even for the slightest bit, he had felt the punch hitting far too close to home.

It was far too late to walk up against those Gods, too late to change anything they had laid out for their fates. Maybe if Ignis had played along and joined him before he had snuffed out the sun, things might have turned out differently. He would have stayed unharmed as well, eyes good and piercingly green, clever enough to find out what to do to put Ardyn to peace and how to save his precious ‘Noct’.

But that chance had been lost to the void when Ignis had borrowed the power of those wicked kings. A fool for not trusting his offer. But even as pitiful as it was, Ardyn couldn’t blame him. He was wearing the guise of the ‘bad guy’ after all. And it was part of what made Ignis so special, to be loyal to the point of sacrifice. No doubt, Ardyn would have been disappointed if Ignis hadn’t fought back against what he deemed to be their greatest obstacle.

Had he been Noctis though, Ignis would have followed him wherever. The days they had spent together were more than enough proof. Ardyn had miscalculated the effect it had had on him. He had meant to toy around with Ignis, just a little, and ensure that he’d not be hurt more than he already had in the course of time, yes, wherever that thought had emerged from. But not being met with pure hostility had stirred something in him he had preferred to stay away.

Had he been Noctis...  
Ardyn spat out a sound of spite into the night, unheard to anyone but himself and maybe the slumbering creature below. _Noctis_. He had no business with the bratty prince-king but for him happening to be the King of Light, the Chosen by the Crystal he so despised. But having seen his resemblance to his younger brother, having to see that Somnus once more would triumph over him... That loyalty personified would choose to follow Somnus rather than himself...

Ardyn knew this thought was twisted and not fully consistent. It was what it felt like. Reliving what had been his reality from over two millennia ago was anything but welcome. He had hoped those memories to scatter and eventually just vanish but after all those eternities he found them still hurting in presence of the events of late.  
Ultimately, Ignis was going to side with the Chosen, blind in sight of the truth Ardyn spoke to him. It had been exactly the same when he had been turned his back upon by his sworn Shield and companion. He who had pledged loyalty to the first king of Lucis who would come to be known as the Founder King without hesitation. After all they had been through.

“Gilgamesh...”

It was striking how much they had in common, him and Ignis despite them living in most different times and looking nothing alike. Those lost times, Ardyn had wandered with him, just the two of them through the vast lands of Eos with the mission to heal and restore the Crystal’s power so it could guide them to better times. Or that was what they had believed back then.

They had camped in the most unlikely spots, places where beasts had been said to dwell but they would always come out unharmed, thanks to the magic Ardyn had been borrowing from the Crystal. Unlike his golden light, that healed and purged, the Crystal’s magic had existed to protect. Before setting up their place for the night, the two men would be seen drawing markings to the ground with wooden sticks or anything they had found in their surroundings. Ardyn would infuse those markings with the powers of the Crystal, strong enough to light them up with a soothing blue in the night, a power the daemons feared.  
When that had been done, Ardyn would rest and mend the hole the magic had torn into him with his own healing magic, while Gilgamesh would be in charge to get the fire going and make sure they had something to eat. It had always been that way when wandering the wilds and it hadn’t been the worst. Gilgamesh’s meals had not been haute cuisine, yet tasty enough and it had never failed to give their bodies back the power they had been drained of throughout the day. They had talked and laughed, Ardyn more than just occasionally teasing Gilgamesh, the latter snapping back at him when he had been so composed only moments ago.

It had been that very picture that had struck Ardyn while on the road with Ignis under the guise of Noctis. The situation had been so very familiar, apart from Ignis’ wits and cooking skills surpassing those of Gilgamesh and the fact that they had not been camping at havens, rather far from them. Ardyn wouldn’t have thought his guard starting to come down that fast. He had known it was _Ignis_ sitting there with him, not Gilgamesh. He had known that Ignis thought he was talking to _Noctis_ and not to Ardyn. Still he had fooled himself into this, chasing the comfort much alike those sweet moments in the past when they had already been long gone to naught before the Gods. No point in reliving them twice.

“Curse you”, Ardyn hissed into the night, unsure whom he head been addressing as he stood to move towards Hammerhead. Ignis would be waiting for him. For _him_...

 

Finding him was anything but a problem. He had ensured this before parting ways when deciding on an unmistakable spot where to meet again. The haven was still illuminated with the same old magic from thousands of years ago, when the world had still been far from seeing cars and garages and these plains had been nothing but wild lands, home to beasts and daemons alike. Times when those runes became the safe haven for two lone travelers for the first time.

To Ardyn’s dislike the other two remaining young Crownsguards were with Ignis, seemingly waiting for someone. Of course they would. So Ignis had spilled the news. Ardyn drew a deep breath, chasing the annoyance from his system. Did Ignis tell them right away? Had it been easy to go against their agreemet of keeping it secret? Ardyn knew how easily promises were broken and the fact that Ignis, _even Ignis_ seemed to have done so made bitter disappointment gout in the back of his throat. It was probably time he ended this nonsense game of hide-and-seek.

Waiting was a thing Ardyn had grown accustomed to, more than he’d ever thought and liked to. The hours that the three of them occupied the haven flew by in a blink, although it would be a lie to say he hadn’t wished for the other two to leave faster. Being accustomed to something didn’t necessarily mean to like it. He was glad the waiting was done.

“I thought they’d never leave”, Ardyn mimicked Noctis’ voice again, coming as close to the haven as physically possible. The daemons and the Scourge inside his body made it impossible for him to set foot on those magic grounds, being repelled by the magic. There was no return to any of those havens for Ardyn. He had been locked out.

“Noct! Why are you-- you saw us?”  
Ignis seemed to be startled by Noctis’ sudden return, and so perfectly in time with the departure of his friends. It would have been a miracle if he wasn’t. It was a miracle that he still hadn’t suspected anything.  
“Yeah, but you all looked a little gloomy, so I stayed away. Didn’t want to ruin the mood any further”, Ardyn answered. He knew he would have. And revealing himself to all of the key persons who still wandered Eos at once? Now where was the fun in that?  
“Ruin the-- Noct, what nonsense are you talking about? Prompto and Gladio were here to see you. To talk to you!”  
A strained sigh slipped from Ardyn but he tried to cover it up as good as possible. Being the Chosen just a tad longer wouldn’t make it a bigger lie now, wouldn’t it?  
“Which is why I didn’t come over. I told you it’s too early yet. But could you maybe come down here? It’s a little hard to hear you when you’re so far away.”

“Maybe you should come up instead, Noct”, Ignis called. “It’s safer within the runes, they keep the daemons at bay. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Uhm...”  
Ardyn heard Noctis’ voice laughing awkwardly. _I wouldn’t want you to get hurt._  
“It... might be too late for that.” Too late by far.

Ardyn watched as Ignis was scrambling down the steep way to the haven, still managing to find the path graciously even without his sight. Minus the hurrying part. A potion ready at hand he asked about the location of the ‘bruise’ he had been talking about.  
It was not like anything would have the ability to heal the damage anymore. Still, Ardyn stripped off his coat, rolling up the sleeve on one arm. He already had an idea how to fake it.  
Just a little more.

“My ankle”, Noctis’ voice hissed through his teeth. “I think I sprained it in the mines at some point. But my arm is worse.”

Ignis was quick in discarding the other glove, revealing cicatrised skin covered in red lightning. Ardyn didn’t want to feel guilty for having forced Ignis to put on the ring. The act of recklessness might have been his choice, but it wouldn’t have happened if he had been more convincing. But what did it matter now?

Using the symptoms of the Scourge had the desired effect. Black tar, hot to the touch and thick in substance was easily mistaken for blood. The smell could have given it away, but Ignis seemed too preoccupied with the sensation, further distracted by the little gasp Ardyn gave away at contact.

The potion flask cracked all of its healing particles went over to the body still alive and breathing, where decay hadn’t been eating away all substance for far too many lifetimes. Ardyn had tried this method of healing before. Of course it had been no use. But to keep up the appearance, just a little longer, he made the Scourge retreat, slowly and only partly to feign a healing process. Ignis seemed to be in distress over it.

“Noct, what did this to you?”, Ignis asked in all urgency, thinking hard.

“Don’t remember. It was dark.” 

Ignis popped out a gauze bandage to put around the ‘injured’ spot on Ardyn’s arm.  
“I could have been able to protect you from that”, Ignis reproached him as he started wrapping the fabric tightly.  
Again Ardyn found himself unexpectedly taken aback by the combination of gesture and words, thrown back to the very same situation long and longer ago. He had once tried to go up against Daggerquills, to get their long tail feathers. It had been Gilgamesh’s birthday and Ardyn had wanted to gift them so he could stick them to his hair or make whatever accessory out of it. He had been badly hit and Gilgamesh had scolded him for his rash actions.  
Where had this bleached out memory crept up from?

“But I didn’t want you to get hurt, Ignis”, Ardyn mumbled, just to keep the conversation going. This had to end. Being close to Ignis made him wish for things that weren’t there, things he had abandoned and lived without well enough.

“I can only return this”, Ignis said, securing the loose end of the bandage. The wrapping was perfect.

And all of this efforts for nothing. Ignis would not save anyone from their predestined fate, let alone the most fatal injury that was hanging over them like a ghost, inevitable for both Ardyn and Noctis. Even if he _had been_ Noctis, he wouldn’t have been saved. A moment he wondered if ‘Ardyn’ could have been saved by Ignis. Ridiculous.

“Even if you know that I am going to die anyway”, Ardyn returned flatly, sneering as Ignis’ face lit up in despair. What a twisted tragedy this was. It would have been a spectacle to watch, if it hadn’t been for him, playing the leading role.  
“What?”, Ardyn chuckled darkly. “It’s the truth, Ignis. We have to accept that it’s my destiny to vanish.”

“Even so!”, Ignis burst out, pulling on Ardyn’s arm.  
“Noct, I swear to keep you safe from harm as long as you let me. Please don’t... throw away what spare time is left, I beg of you...”

The pull on his arm felt like a plea indeed, desperate and full of warmth. Maybe he could have been saved once. But that point was long since passed, the chance squandered. That boy, who had turned to a man by now would not save anybody anymore, no matter how hard he tried. And Ardyn knew Ignis would try even harder.  
Was it compassion, was it an apology or just another jest of his when he decided to run a hand through the hair on the back of Ignis’ head, feeling the supple short strands against his fingertips?  
“Trust me, I’m not worth the trouble”, he murmured and by that he knew he was speaking the truth.

“ _You_ are worth _every_ trouble I can think of. Ever since I can remember”, Ignis shot back, not letting go of Ardyn’s arm.

“Because the Astrals chose me? Because I am the only one to save this world?”  
That was all there had been. All that had ever mattered to make a person rise and another fall. Nobody had cared about the lives lost behind the veil of wretched sacredness and the fathomless injustice those so-called Gods were capable of. Everybody but Ignis, as it seemed as he talked on, a shallow copy of redemption flickering up in Ardyn’s mind for just a second. If it only had been for him.

“Gods, no...” Ignis shook his head. “No, this world means nothing to me. Neither do the Astrals. They can do with their world as they please. To hell with their prophecy. Saving the world would be meaningless if I couldn’t save you. I want to save _you_. Noct, I lo-”

 _Enough!_  
Ardyn’s mind had yelled, urged him into acting. He couldn’t have taken this. Why he had ended up blocking the words with a kiss is a mystery. There was no emotion there, just a pair of lips against each other, sharing warmth they had been longing for on the side. Ignis’ lips were rather thin, almost fragile in contact, too smooth too refined. This man would easily shatter under his grip if he really claimed to belong there. That was not to happen.

 _How foolish._  
“Don’t offer me words that are meant for someone else”, Ardyn snarled, genuinely hurt and angered as he had pulled away. He was so sick of living in lies. Even if the one who had brought him to this situation in first place had been himself. There was no such thing as love for his kind, no.  
“I had hoped to stay together a little longer but I guess time has come to end that charade now, hasn’t it?”

“Ar...dyn.”

The kaleidoscope of emotion washing over Ignis’ face was a marvel to look at. So this marked the end of their short breathing time. It had been a peaceful one, fleeting right from the start. It hadn’t been about Ignis, the person after all, just like it had never been about Ardyn. It had been more of a... conceptual liking. The idea behind the person.

“So we meet at last, my dear Ignis.”  
Ardyn swept his Scourge tainted self into a deep mocking bow, eyes bleeding black as they met their lightless counterpart. And finally, ah yes, the glare he had been used to, mistrusting and shielding away the mind.

Ignis rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth as if to wipe away any traces that could have remained of the kiss he had been stolen.  
“How dare you”, he growled, conflict written all over his face.

“Lamentable words of thanks, don’t you think?”, Ardyn chimed. “A simple ‘thank you’ would have been enough but let me return a ‘you’re welcome’ nevertheless.”

“What for?” Ignis’ brow twitched. He looked alert, like a cornered prey in front of its predator, thinking about a way to still escape alive. Not that he would have to try anything. Ardyn had been set on letting him stay unharmed since the beginning.

“Oh, for taking away the need of your constant alertness? For giving you a little time-out, perhaps? Some more time with your precious Noct before he returns to face his-”

“Quiet!”  
Magic of blue and silver shot sent the air fizzling and smelling of fire and iron as Ignis summoned his polearm. Ardyn grinned wryly. Ignis couldn’t have given away his defensive stance any clearer. No daggers for attacking. A lance to keep him at distance.  
“What business do you have with me?”

“Ah, it has been such a long time since we last met”, Ardyn returned with feigned innocence. “I have missed you around.”

“Are you sure you are saying this to me, of all people?”

“Perhaps I am.”  
Perhaps he was. Maybe he was chasing spectres of the past, things long lost but still longed for. But perhaps it was about Ignis after all. What did it matter?

Ignis was growing nervous, shoving his feet into a slightly different position, just to retain the notion of being in control.  
“You are a twisted man, Ardyn”, Ignis grumbled, warily, yes, maybe angry but not with the same hostility he had met the Chancellor in Altissia. It was a poor excuse for a threat.

“And how right you are, as always. But that’s where it’s getting interesting, don’t you think? For you followed that twisted man around, as I would like to point out.”

“I had-”

“No choice?”  
Ardyn lifted one cocky eyebrow, well knowing that Ignis couldn’t see it.  
“Come on, Ignis we both know this isn’t true.”

Ignis groaned in frustration.  
“I had no _idea_ who-”

“Ah, why didn’t you ask then? It’s not like you to simply take things as they are.”

“Bah!”  
Ignis pressed his lips together, a deep crease between his brows. He was glaring at him, his eyes finding exactly their spot.

“Touché? Look, I know how you have been searching Eos for clues about how to rescue your precious Noct. No need to hide that from me, you even told me, remember? You simply couldn’t accept the bitter truth that the Chosen by the Crystal would have to sacrif-”

“Don’t say it!”, Ignis bellowed and launched a surprise attack, the spear missing Ardyn’s face only by centimeters. Ardyn backed down a calculated step, using the movement of the weapon to block it behind Ignis’ back. The attacker was panting, obviously trying to hold back his wrath, that was nothing but a mask to the despair underneath.  
“Don’t. Say it”, Ignis hissed once more.

“It’s a shame. And you had all the possibilities laid out in front of you.”  
Ardyn let go of the pole and Ignis immediately brought distance between them. He wouldn’t be attacking a second time, his body language was all too obvious.

“What do you mean?”, Ignis question cut through the night.

Ardyn started pacing a circle around him.  
“What would you say if I told you, that you could have saved him if you had only cooperated? That there had been a way if you would have come with me back then in Altissia?”

“You’re lying.”

“Oh, Ignis.” Ardyn shook his head. “What point would there be in doing so? I am long since done lying to you.” _And you wouldn’t even know_.

“You lie as you speak, why should I believe you now?”

Ardyn’s tone grew harsh.  
“I don’t remember having given _you_ any cause for distrust. Besides, I am keeping my word to Noctis, lending you company while he is away. You could give me more credit for that, don’t you think?”

Ignis gripped his weapon tighter. It almost looked like he was trying to hold on to anything to keep him grounded. But that was nothing more than a mere assumption.  
“You took on Noct’s identity to trick me, Ardyn”, he reasoned.

Ardyn snickered menacingly.  
“It always takes two to be tricked. Yes, I borrowed Noctis’ voice to get your attention but nothing more. And again no words of thanks for telling you about the past of the Accursed that has been long since lost. See, I could have let you die out there when we were camping in the unsheltered wilds, feeding you to the daemons or perhaps even kill you myself.”

“But... you didn’t.”  
The statement sounded weak against the accusations Ignis had thrown at Ardyn just seconds ago.

“What a sharp observation”, Ardyn returned, dripping with sarcasm.

Ignis’ stance had grown weaker, a fight not in question anymore. He turned his head into the direction he thought Ardyn to be.  
“What are you scheming?”

“Ah, that’s what you get for speaking the truth, only further mistrust. I should have known that you are no different after all. But I’m curious. What about your own words back at Galdin, you thinking about cooperating with me? A lie of yours perhaps?”

The charge hung heavily in the silence between them as Ignis seemed to recall their conversation. Ardyn was sure he didn’t have to dig as deep into his memory as he pretended.  
“No...”, Ignis finally answered. “It’s the truth. I wanted to seek you out.”

Ardyn scoffed.  
“Seek out a liar? And what for, may I ask?”

“It would have been the last possibility left to me. I have been searching for clues, for a lead that might turn the tables yet but for nothing. It was only when I found those peculiar records that spoke of a forsaken healer, so different from the others that I got to thinking...”  
Ignis shook his head, a curt movement from right to left.  
“I had doubts about their truth, sleepless nights agonising over the righteousness of my thoughts... But then Noct- no, it was you. You spoke of the very same events and even beyond what was written in the documents... So is that what really came to pass? If you were to be a gentle ruler once, where did that person go?”

The tinge of compassion that suddenly rang trough Ignis’ words made Ardyn scowl. Pity was the last thing he needed. He had already had it in the past and nothing good had been born from it. He growled out a tense sigh.  
“Again, you didn’t listen to what I said. I have never been close to ruling anything. That man perished when the Gods decided to turn their back on him, robbing him of all he had and demonising him instead. It is futile to search for him any longer.”  
At least one writer seemed to have preserved what had been left of the truth. Ardyn had more than just an idea who could have been behind those writings. A thing to check on yet.

“So we could have fought together...”  
Ignis gave an incredulous laugh, powerless in the sight of things.  
“If things had turned out different... we could have been allies. We could have made it work.”

Ardyn showed a lopsided grin, not bothering enough to pull his lips up all the way. It was lost energy to lament the could-have-beens and what-ifs.  
“It’s always eye-opening to look at things in retrospective isn’t it? But things are far more complicated than that. Time always plays a crucial factor in the course of things, as well as personal preferences do. I for my part chose the path of the villain. Playing the hero was nothing but a letdown.”

“Bloody hell, was there no other way...?”

The genuine sadness Ignis’ face confronted him with was striking. Ardyn couldn’t recall any time where he had looked more vulnerable, more open than he did now. Almost flattering, considering the circumstances in which he was granted that sight. How touching.

”Now, don’t look at me that way. You’re not the first one to turn their back on me.” His eyes narrowed as he felt the sting of disappointment after having worded it.  
“But you already know by now. Feeling guilty yet?”

Judging by the way Ignis flinched he did. Probably not for distrusting Ardyn, that much he was sure of. It would have been all about Noctis, the Chosen, cursing the Astrals for his cruel fate. Maybe he was even cursing Ardyn himself, although it didn’t look like it. It didn’t look like any of Ignis’ thoughts was occupied with him.

Ardyn watched the spear disappear into droplets of silver before completely vanishing from Ignis’ hands, silently screaming defeat. He stepped closer, letting his eyes wander over the slightly hunched back of the strong yet frail adviser.

“We have been fooled since the beginning of time, dear Ignis”, Ardyn murmured. “I should have been your king and your fate should have had a different outcome. But don’t expect an apology of mine. I am not the one to be held responsible.”

Ignis shook his head, answering all calmly.  
“I don’t. But you are not my king. Yet, I loath to see that... even after everything you are not even a true enemy either.”

“I am almost honoured by that thought”, Ardyn returned and he meant it. It was probably more goodwill than he had ever been granted and more than he ever would be.  
“Now you better be off to steel your heart, lest it might break with what is to come. We meet again when the night is the darkest.”

Ignis didn’t reply anything as Ardyn took his leave. He would be fine with Hammerhead that close by, very low probability that he might get lost on the way. Ignis was skilled, Ardyn knew that. Maybe it had been pointless worrying about him from the very beginning. Worry?

Ardyn shook his head, letting out a mocking sound into the air. What was it with him and _feelings_ all of a sudden? Laughable. Maybe because the end was near. Maybe because Ignis had brought things back to the surface that had been buried for far too long. He didn’t know. But what Ardyn knew was that the records he had found had caught his interest. He was curious whether his suspicion would be confirmed. And if it was, maybe he could finally let go of the past and be alone in his thoughts again.

 

The search for answers took Ardyn to Taelpar Crag, an eerie display of the power the Astrals possessed, a haunted place as the people used to say. Ardyn had been avoiding the gorge. He knew what being was dwelling there, felt its existence in the magic bond they had forged back in the past, ever present throughout all of the years, no matter how vehemently he had been pushing it away.

It was not a pleasant location for sure. Blunt swords and cracked shields were sticking out of the floor like withered bushes, remnants of broken sigils littering the way. Many had perished on their way through the cave on their self proclaimed quest for power, meeting their end in the humbling sight of true strength.

Ardyn was all but surprised to see his silhouette in the innermost depths of the cave, his own magic radiating from his body in a faint reddish aura. He slowed his feet, approaching the man with his ever cocky stride. Keeping reasonable distance, of course. You never knew what kind of tricks traitors had up their sleeves. 

“Well, hello there. It’s hard to believe my eyes but you truly are still lingering here.”  
Ardyn’s tongue was playful but sharp. His lips were bent into a grin but his eyes were glaring at him spitefully.  
“Gilgamesh.”

The cloaked giant turned around, slowly, maybe hesitantly before directing his eyes, ablaze with magic at Ardyn.  
“I felt your presence in our bond but I never thought I would ever come to face you again.” Gilgamesh inclined his head, kneeled before him. The sight made bile rise in Ardyn’s throat.  
“What brings you here, now of all times?”

“I am just here on a whim. Nostalgia, perhaps.” Ardyn gestured towards Gilgamesh with one hand.  
“And look at you, still in pretty good shape.”

“A compliment I can only return.”

It was remarkable how that bit of magic they had shared so long ago still held together the old bones of his former sworn Shield, minus his left arm. It had let him grow in height, clearly inhumanly tall by now and the soul constantly seeping from his body gave him a fierce and ghost-like appearance. It was not that bad, being under humanoid monsters for a change, Ardyn thought briefly before Gilgamesh interrupted his train of thought.

“So what really brings you here? You must have fathomed that I was residing here and yet, you never came to see me before. Why now?”  
His words were void of emotion, neither accusation nor fear layered underneath.

“The truth.”  
Ardyn squinted. He was just here to check back on the records. That was the only thing he wanted to know about. He was not here to mend old wounds.  
“Historical documents have been found, most likely parts of a chronicle that have remained undiscovered for, coincidentally, about two thousand years. Their content speaks against everything known that has come to pass in the lucian history, most strikingly in its beginning. And the historian...”  
Ardyn puffed air out of his nose and arched a brow.  
“‘Maculo Scuti’? The dishonoured shield? You have never been creative but that is more than hideous.”

Metal pieces of the armour scratched against each other as Gilgamesh shifted under Ardyn’s piercing stare.  
“So you found out after all. Yes, the writer of those records is me.”

Ardyn scoffed.  
“I knew you were a fool but not to the extent of idiocy. You wrote records that would most definitely fall victim to severe judgement under the godsdamn Founder King?! You had everything, why would you have risked death with such nonsense?” For a moment he forgot that Gilgamesh had been rendered immortal when they shared their magic bond, at least so long as he himself lived. But Gilgamesh couldn’t have known.

“Truth, maybe”, Gilgamesh answered. “Justice?”

“How dare you speak of _justice_ ”, Ardyn hissed.

Gilgamesh still knelt there, unwavering, as if he was ready to face the storming sea like the rock he was.  
“What would you have me speak of then? Is it bad conscience you want to hear about? Do you prefer hearing me talk about love instead?”

In a blur Ardyn had darted towards the blademaster, pulling him closer by his scarf in a threat. His golden eyes were dripping with cold fury.  
“Do. Not. Speak to me of _love_ , Gilgamesh. Not you. You of all who pledged your everything to me and turned your back on me instead. _Love_.”

Gilgamesh lowered his head, averting Ardyn’s gaze.  
“I pledged my _loyalty_ to the first king of Lucis before Bahamut himself. Who was I to question the will of the Gods, Ardyn? How could you have expected that of me?”

Ragged pictures of that wicked memory flashed up. Ardyn, Gilgamesh, Somnus and the Oracle, all standing before the oh-so-mighty Bahamut. Questions, pledges, vows and treason. But most of all hurt. Ardyn fought those images with a trembling body, the demons inside him snarling to keep the festering pain away.

“I _expected_ you to _trust_ me. You promised to always stand by me, Gil, but what truth did those words of yours hold? You just succumbed to my brother’s order, and dropped me into the void without hesitation. You did nothing for me.”

Gilgamesh’s sigh produced a hollow sound behind his mask.  
“Humans make mistakes, Ardyn. I am aware now that I was wrong. But... it’s not like a saint like you would understand, am I right?”

Ardyn grimaced and pushed the man away.  
“Look, who is talking. You’re not even human anymore either.”

“No, not anymore. But I was once. When I made that mistake. I realised I had been wrong, that I had committed the most terrible crime I could have shouldered. My fear of the divine had drowned me when it shouldn’t have. This is why I wrote, the same passages over and over, countless times so that at least one of them might survive should the others be burnt. To let the truth be known to the future. I know I cannot turn back time nor atone for this sin, so I won’t beg you for forgiveness.”

Every word from behind that mask made Ardyn cringe, wanting to crawl out of his own skin. Gilgamesh was saying so much more than he had initially planned on hearing. Things he didn’t want to hear. He might have wanted to once, but this ‘once’ was long since gone. Ardyn snarled.

“What are you trying to achieve with this? Instill any sort of regret into me, after all this time? I won’t let you, Gil. The time of my revenge has finally come and you won’t be calming the fury that fuels me with trying to make me feel compassion.”

“All I am trying to do is apologise, Ardyn. As I said, I am not looking to be forgiven--”

“Then you already know that I am not going to accept those shallow words.”  
The fall when both Gilgamesh and his brother had turned their backs on him; the time he had to spend on Angelgard, tortured and killed countless times by the very Gods who had promised him a rightful place... Ardyn’s life was built on treason. It was already bitter enough, no truth could possibly worsen it.  
Curse it, so be it then. One last truth. One more certainty so he could put hit mind at ease and focus on the thrill of anticipation for the fight to come.

“While we’re at it, one more question.” Maybe he shouldn’t have come here after all. Curiosity had been a bad trait of his and he had never fully gotten rid of it. No regrets. This would be drawing the final line under everything that had been left unsaid.

“Did you ever love me, like you pretended to? Tell me.”

“I did.”  
The answer came out unvarnished and clear, piercing through the air in its simplicity. 

“Then why, Gil?”  
Needless to speak this question out to full extent. They had both been there when it had happened, they both knew what it was about.

A heartbeat passed.  
“Because I was weak, Ardyn. I couldn’t take it. I failed you. You deserved better.”

The foul night was rattled with a feral shriek, echoing through the gorge in cacophony with the shrill sound of a sharp object tearing through metal. The people were right. This place was haunted, forsaken by its creators just like the rest of this wretched world.

Away, away. A final farewell to the past and all the memories, the bleached snapshots of moments and shattered dreams of what could have been. Away, let the present be damned with all its hidden scheming, deceiving the righteous, the good and the bad.  
Make way for the Healer that turned into a daemon to bring peace to the world.

With a strong and determined stride, Ardyn made back for Insomnia, back to reclaim the throne that had been his to sit since the beginning of time. There was worse than waiting there for the last fight to begin.  
He would fight to the death, with the intention to kill. He knew he was going to succeed, it was predestined. No matter if he would have to give up his own life to take the Chosen with him into the beyond. It would all end that day. And then he would not ever have to think or feel anymore. Everything would finally be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, those convos ran away from me a little. I feared I might have lost the point of it when writing but I hope it still comes together nicely. The next and final chapter shouldn't be that much of a struggle, but I have assignments for secret santa and a holiday exchange to do, so I don't know how fast I'll be. I still hope you're going to stick with me until the end :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much [littlereadingetsor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlereadingetsor/pseuds/littlereadingetsor) for pre-reading this angsty mess <3

The air was buzzing with anticipation and a multitude of different feelings the day Noctis returned. One could feel it in the shift of the wind, the whispering of the water and the trembling grounds. The Chosen had come. The end was near.

After what had happened, Ignis had decided to stay in Galdin Quay for a while, much to Cindy’s concern. Still he had insisted. His anger and despair were raging inside his veins, even more now that they had turned aimless. There was nothing to do, no one to hate and no one to blame. Only the painful hope that Noctis would return some day and the somber prayer of being forgiven.

Ignis had often sat at the shore, listening to the sound of waves, searching for a sign from Angelgard. Searching for a way to be close to Noctis. Ignis had been sure he would find him there, at the place where the Astrals gather, the place where they had been holding their trials since the beginning of time. There was that feeling that Noctis would be there.  
He hadn’t known if it was mere chance that barely any daemon had bothered disturbing his melancholy, or if Ardyn had still been behind him somewhere, lurking in the shadows. He hadn’t wanted to think about it. There was enough to keep his mind busy.

At some point Umbra had surprisingly revealed his presence, startling Ignis, who had risen up to a feral crouch with drawn daggers, only to dispel them quickly again. Umbra was a messenger, connected with Noctis. So maybe, only maybe Ignis could manage to reach out for him. But what would he want to tell him anyway?  
He had settled for a little strip of paper from the notebook he always carried with him. Not that there was much to write, but in cases like this, it proved to be very useful. The message to Noctis had been simple: ‘be waiting in Hammerhead’ written in letters as clean as Ignis could manage. When he had tucked the paper into Umbra’s gear, his hand had found the canine messenger’s head, ruffling his fur.

“Please, guide him home”, Ignis had whispered before Umbra had dissolved into nothingness, letting him question if he had been there for real or if he had been but fooled again. Deceived by his own desires, playing tricks with his mind.

Ignis had left Galdin after that, back to Hammerhead where Talcott and his group of Hunters had arrived. No news, just as anticipated. Somewhere in the bottom of his heart Ignis had been relieved to hear that. It hurt less to be torn apart by the lack of information than to hear of facts that would have been discovered far too late to act. Once had been enough.

When Prompto and Gladio joined the not-so-merry gathering again, Ignis had known it couldn’t have been a mere happenstance. This didn’t occur just on a whim, and not that close to their last meeting. They hadn’t seen each other in years. Two times in a row was more than improbable.

“Do you feel it too?”, Prompto had asked in a private moment, when most of the people at the garage had either gone to sleep or were busy with keeping their weapons in good condition. Ignis had bitten his lip to stop himself from any emotional outburst. He had only nodded. It had been unmistakable.  
“I know it’s not important, I guess. But sometimes I’m still thinking about what happened to you. You know, some weeks ago? When you told us that... Noct was with you?”

Ignis had breathed out a sigh.  
“We have already talked about this. Gladio was right. I have been deceived. That is all there is to it.”

“O-okay? If you say so?”  
The metal pieces of Prompto’s gear had clinked as he stood.  
“But, Iggy... You... Since we last met you’re somehow... not yourself. You sure you’re okay?”

A marble glare had been the response, dull but precise. Ignis was not okay. But he had to be. He always had been. Prompto seemed to have understood the depth to that look, at least the light squeeze of his hand against Ignis’ shoulder suggested he had.

“Maybe he really was with you after all... Out of us three, you’ve always been the closest.”  
Prompto had patted Ignis’ shoulder twice before walking away with slightly slurring steps.

No. It had not been Noctis who had kept close. If only. Nothing more but wishful thinking that had blinded him for good, numbing his senses for spare moments of relief and comfort in the company of a man whose identity Ignis had been willing to deny.  
Yes, maybe he wasn’t himself anymore.

But the day had come, divine magic cracking in sparks of static, tingling on the skin.

Ignis was sitting in the reformed diner with Prompto and Gladio, silence eating away their bits of conversation when he heard the roaring of Talcott’s truck. Even if he hadn’t heard it, he would have _felt_ it. Judging by Prompto’s sudden jump and Gladio’s sharp breath, they felt it too. The power pulsating in blue, resonating in their connection.

“It’s him”, Gladio rasped lowly, heavy steps impatiently chasing the pull of magic.

Ignis remained seated. He had longed for this day to come, yet wished it never would. And now, he felt he was no longer worthy to stand by his prince, no, his king. But most of all, there was fear and guilt. Ignis would have to tell him. He felt the urge to tell him everything that had come to pass, everything that had gone wrong and the greatest failure he had committed. He dreaded it so much.

“You coming, Iggy?”

His head snapped up. Prompto was still there.

“Prompto... I don’t know if-”

“You _don’t know_? Are you kidding?”

Prompto pulled at his arm and just before he knew it, Ignis was being dragged outside, almost stumbling after him to where the pulse of magic was the strongest. He tried to fall back, when Prompto let go of his sleeve but Prompto noticed and scrambled back to pull him closer again.

“Hey.”  
It was just a word, a single sound that made Ignis’ skin turn into goosebumps. That voice that had lingered in his dreams and faded into memory. This was no dream. And this time it was no illusion either. It was bitter reality.

“Noct, it’s you! It’s really you!”  
Prompto’s voice cracked with joyous disbelief but Ignis could not make himself join the banter. Too many shadows clouded this reunion, too much despair dimmed down the embers of relief. Still, he had to say something. It would be odd if he didn’t.

“Well, well. You kept us waiting.”

There was a short moment of unpleasant silence after those words and it sent a shiver down Ignis’ spine. What if Noctis already knew? What if he really had seen everything, just as Ardyn had made him believe?  
Steps were approaching him, one, two, three... And then a hand came down firmly on his shoulder.

“Not like I wanted to”, Noctis hummed from somewhere lower than Ignis’ ear and it made tears swell up in Ignis’ eyes of stone.

That sensation on his shoulder, the hand, broader, yes, but still so familiar, the nostalgic ring of his voice and the feeling of his presence - simply everything was so unmistakably _Noctis_ , it filled every fiber of Ignis’ heart and he wouldn’t have minded it to burst into pieces in that very instant. It didn’t.

“We’ve got catching up to do”, Noctis said as he turned around to face all of them again, letting go of Ignis. The latter felt something crack inside him but he forced himself not to break. Not now and not with everybody present. That would not happen, not until he was not alone with him. 

Ignis swallowed down what had been creeping up his throat, settling for a simple “let’s head inside” instead.  
The four of them moved towards the diner but again, Ignis’ legs slowed down, making him fall behind. Noctis slowed down too.

“Ignis?”

“Noct, I...” His heart was sending a rhythm of fear into his bones. “Apologies, but I need to talk to you first. Alone.”

When Gladio was about to protest, Prompto stepped in, convincing him to let Ignis take Noctis aside for whatever there was to talk about. Probably he was assuming that Ignis wanted to confess after all. Heartwarming to have a friend caring about him that way, and yes, Ignis had something to confess. Alas not what Prompto was envisioning. He nodded gratefully, before he walked off to the nearby haven with Noctis, every step razor blades under his feet.

“So much has changed”, Noctis mused when they came to a stand on top of the winding rock. “I can’t remember this place looking so worn out.”

“So they say, yes.”

“Your eyesight hasn’t returned after all?”

Ignis pursed his lips.  
“I am afraid so.”

He would tell him nothing of the Ring, nothing of his sacrifice. Ignis had chosen to burn in devotion that was to remain unspoken. What more were feelings to a person who was going to die but a burden? And this was not one for Noctis to carry.

“I see.”

For a while nothing but the sound of the breeze and the shrieks of far away creatures filled the silence between them. The minutes ticked by and Noctis was patient with Ignis but the words wouldn’t come. There was too much to talk about, too much to explain and the constant fear of angering him.

“If it’s about me... I know what awaits me.”  
Noctis spoke calm and collected but it didn’t escape Ignis how muted sadness was threaded into his tone. The resignation sent a pang to his heart.

“I wanted to tell you when we’re all together”, Noctis continued, “but looks like you already know.”

Ignis sigh was the only confirmation. Noctis hummed.

“Do Gladio and Prompto know?”

“No.” Finally a rasping voice made it through Ignis’ throat. “I... haven’t told them yet.”  
Noctis would have to die. He would have to sacrifice himself to save the world. And Ignis... His lips were dangerously starting to quiver, so he made use of his teeth to stop them from doing so.

“It’s my fault.”

Curious steps in the not do far distance turned around.  
“What are you even saying, Specs?”

Ignis drew a pained breath through his teeth.  
“I have failed you, Noct.”

“Ignis-”

“I could have _saved_ you!”

Noctis made a confused sound, his steps coming closer.  
“What are you even talking about?”

Yes, what was he even talking about? It was not like he had any clue, any inkling about how it could have been possible to save him. How to even tackle that matter and what would have been the exact measures. He only knew that there had been a possibility and that Ardyn had known. And that he had missed it.  
“There would have been a way to make this outcome unnecessary. You... could have been free, Noct. I could have freed you from this...”

The compassionate chuckle sounded like thunder in his ears. Noctis shouldn’t ever have had to sound like that.  
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too hard on yourself, Specs? What way could ever sidestep the will of the Gods?”  
A hand found its way onto Ignis’ shoulder but it failed to reassure him.  
“You did your best and I believe you still do. I know it’s hard but-”

“Then maybe I should have done my worst instead”, Ignis blurted out. “I should just have listened to him. He could have been the key...”

“Ignis you don’t make sense. Who?”

Ignis heaved a breath before facing Noctis straight with unseeing eyes. Noctis, who had no idea what Ignis was feeling for him. The person whom he would have given up everything for, or so he had thought. Apparently he hadn’t been able to in the end.  
“Ardyn.”

“... What?”  
With the lifting of his hand there came the crashing weight of guilt.  
“That’s not the best time for a joke.”

“It is not.” Ignis’ gloves creak with the motion of his uneasy fingers. “I could have found out if only I had followed him after the attack on Altissia.”

“That’s ridiculous”, Noctis countered in disbelief. “You were badly injured and couldn’t have moved an inch. Who told you that?”  
The silence carved his tone to shape, almost warping it into an order cutting through the darkness.  
“Who, Ignis?”

“... Ardyn himself.”

“And you believed him?”, Noctis shot back at lightning speed, the incredulity almost tangible. “Just like that? After all he did to us along the way? I know you’re not like that, so why?”

“I know how this might sound to you, Noct but... Ardyn is not the evil we assumed he was. He can very well be trusted when it comes to-”

“Are you _listening_ to yourself?”, Noctis cut him off. His words turned sour and Ignis could not blame him. He could not blame anyone but himself.  
“It’s _Ardyn_ , Ignis. He’s the one who destroyed Insomnia. The one who _killed_ Luna _and_ my father and he is about to destroy all of Eos if I don’t stop him. I know _everything_ he did. When I was away in the Crystal, Bahamut told me how-”

“Bahamut...”, Ignis scoffs, clenching his fists even tighter. “Noct, you have no idea.”

“Ignis-”

“It has been a put-up job from the beginning because the bloody Astrals could not control what powers roamed the earth anymore. It’s because they were powerless that all of this madness has emerged at all and you are nothing more but a pawn in their plan, just as they made Ardyn to be! Noct, you and him are alike!”

“Ignis that’s _enough_!” Noctis bellowed through the night. The magic that cracked through the night almost felt like a slap to Ignis’ face as all his unspoken words and explanations were dispelled in their wake. Noctis’ strangled breathing was the only sound that could be heard before Noctis spoke up, more composed, more wary than before.  
“Ignis, what happened to you?”

“Nothing”, Ignis replied flatly. “I merely learned that humanity has been mistaken all along. We have been wrong.” He shook his head. “He showed me the truth.” 

“The... truth?”  
A firm hand grabbed hold of his arm.  
“What did he do to you?”

“Noct-”

“The Ignis I know would never turn his back and freely choose to work with the enemy. What did he do? Did he touch you?”

A most delicate matter Ignis didn’t want to dwell on. There had been connections, touches he had thought of as comforting, even if it had been unknowingly. And the one that would stay unrevealed, the one he wished could be undone. It certainly was not the definition of the word Noctis was thinking of, still... He was nibbling on the inside of his lower lip when Noctis raised his voice again.

“Ignis, talk to me. Did he?”

It couldn’t be helped then. Why would he lie to Noctis in the first place?  
”He did.”

An angry groan came from the man in front of him and his hands started to tremble against Ignis’ shoulder.  
“He will pay for this.”  
A breath later Noctis’ arms were around him, an embrace he had longed for for years but never actually had expected. Ignis hadn’t expected a lot of things.

”I’m sorry Ignis”, Noctis murmured. “I have been away for far too long. But now, I’m here to set it right. He should never have messed with your head.”

It was all wrong. That’s not how it was.  
“It’s all a huge misunderstanding”, Ignis said, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Noctis was thinking that he had gone mad?

“Yeah, sure.” Noctis’ voice was shallow as his hand pats Ignis’ back. It only felt like he was belittling him.

“You have been deceived, Noct, please believe me!”

“It will be okay, Ignis. I’m going to put an end to this misery.”

He would never be able to make things right, explain what he had been doing, what he had found out and how twisted this whole lie about the prophecy and fate. He could not word the regret, the feeling of having been useless in the end. The guilt that had overcome him, learning about the woeful being that has suffered over the truth and the cursed blessing of the Chosen, that would bring back the light to the world but snuff out his in return.

Ignis crashed over Noctis, clinging to his back for support, anything that could still keep him from falling to pieces. He inhaled the scent of earth and ozone mixed with the familiar feeling of royal magic. If it wasn’t for his grip, Ignis would have doubted any of this to be real at all.  
Maybe Noctis was right and he had been going mad. But he was sure that Ardyn didn’t lie either. And neither of them would be granted justice. There was no saving anybody.

“It’s not fair!”  
Tears finally found their way out, mercilessly running down Ignis’ cheeks with unspoken everythings. Noctis had held him until the shaking had stopped.

 

Ignis kept quiet after this incident, mostly absent and reserved, only replying if he was asked to. The flame had burnt out, there was nothing left to do. Nobody would ever know. He still functioned, even if it was on autopilot.  
The last emotional words had been spoken at camp, the night before the dawn would come. Every step towards the end killed another part of him, leaving him numb when the four of them had arrived at the Citadel and Noctis pushed open the door to the throne room. From inside a well known voice echoed through the marble room.

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck. The throne brings you here? It sits only one.”

“Off my chair, jester. The king sits there”, Noctis countered Ardyn’s taunting words with cold fury.

So it was going to happen after all. The inevitable. The unchangeable.  
Ignis was aware of the sick tension in the halls as a stomping sound reached his ears.

“Talk about a grudge”, he heard Prompto comment.

He had to ask.  
“Ardyn sits the throne?”

“Not for long”, Noctis responded grimly.

Still, somewhere a shred of happiness flapped in Ignis’ shattered heart. Ardyn had gotten to sit the throne at least once. A poor substitute for his originally ordained destiny, just as poor as the stolen kiss that might have been the closest gesture of affection this wicked man had experienced in centuries. But the shred was quickly blown away by grief about a dying friend, a lover only in his dreams.

When Ignis’ body was struck by magic he collapsed and the world around him dulled. His head felt lighter, so much lighter than it had been all those past weeks. Pathetic.

“Come, Noctis”, Ardyn’s voice buzzed in his ears and before his consciousness faded for good he could still make out the familiar fizzing sound of Noctis’ warping technique. Noctis, who was about to enter his final battle.

Noctis, whom he had failed to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! It swung to a different direction than I had in mind in the beginning, but I hope the end sits well with the rest of the story.
> 
> I never said there would be a happy ending |D
> 
> Thank you so much for taking your time and reading this. Extra thanks to those who left their kudos, comments and bookmarks and those who subsrcibed to keep up to date!  
> See you next time~


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